


Within the Walls of Ba Sing Se

by TheKnightsWhoSay



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: ATLA Universe, AU, Alternate Universe, Angst, AtLA, Earthbender! Erwin, Eventual Smut, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, POV Erwin Smith, Plus Levi has some heavy backstory, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Recovery, Slow Build, So much angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:53:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 36,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26592466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheKnightsWhoSay/pseuds/TheKnightsWhoSay
Summary: This guy? The best fighter in all of Ba Sing Se? Erwin didn't believe it. He had to see it for himself.[An Eruri AU set in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender]
Relationships: Levi/Erwin Smith
Comments: 18
Kudos: 87





	1. The Caged Bird

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set 50 years before Avatar Aang emerges from the iceberg in the North Pole/before the ATLA storyline begins. Knowledge of ATLA is not required to understand and enjoy this story.
> 
> Here we go! I've been wanting to write a story set in the ATLA universe for so long. It's such a rich universe, and it's been awesome burying myself in the World, and in this story, over the last few months.
> 
> I commissioned the immensely talented [@broomcolate](https://broomcolate.tumblr.com) to create [this awesome artwork ](https://broomcolate.tumblr.com/post/640504967173701633/commission-art-for-theknightswhosay-and-her) for this story!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PART ONE - DISCOVERY

** **Erwin** **

“Happy Birthday, old friend,” said Erwin.

The surface of the turtle duck pond was still and clear, reflecting the grey sky like a mirror into another world. In it, a tall man with dark circles under his eyes stared back at him. He shivered as a cold breeze tugged on his dark green scholar’s robes and a strand of his dark blond hair came free of the ponytail at the nape of his neck. Erwin closed his eyes.

It had been almost two years since Nile had died. The year before on Nile’s birthday, Erwin had still been bed-ridden, still recovering from his injuries after the accident. He was happy that this year, he was well enough to come to Nile’s favourite place in the city to remember him.

The turtle duck pond was their special secret. It was impossible to find by accident, cleverly hidden behind the University by a dense thicket of thorn-bushes and yellow-bark trees with low, protruding branches. It was as painful as it was joyful to be back. How many evenings had they spent escaping their studies here as young students?

 _“Erwin, you should come here if you ever want to escape the city,”_ was what Nile always used to say. He was right. Sitting here amongst the gentle twittering of birds; branches spotted with buds waiting to open; the cold, sharp scent of early spring; it felt like he wasn’t inside the largest city in the world. Erwin could pretend, just for a brief period, that he was free.

“You would laugh to see the man I am now, Nile,” the wind shifted some leaves into the pond, disrupting the smooth surface, “I wasn’t destined to do great things. I’m just like any other man now. Just trying to get by.”

Erwin blinked back tears and felt a surge of shame and regret. Standing there alone beside the pond, he was fragile and purposeless.

Why had he never told Nile how he felt? Why had he never acted on his feelings? Now, he would never know what could have been. Erwin was doomed to spend his life wondering. Nile was gone, and Erwin was alone.

A cold, bitter rain began. Pinpricks appeared across the oval of water and his reflection was lost as the surface became ragged and rough with droplets. It was time to leave.

* * *

Night was falling over Ba Sing Se by the time Erwin took the monorail from the University in the Middle Ring back to his home in the Lower Ring. The huge, impenetrable wall dividing the two sections of the city loomed over the little carriage as it was pushed along the track by earthbenders. As the sky grew darker, the silent, elegant buildings of the Middle Ring with their curved rooftops became illuminated by the eerie glow of green crystals.

The wall grew impossibly bigger as they approached the tunnel. Erwin squeezed his eyes shut, repeating a haiku to himself in his head, as they passed through the enclosed space. He ignored the jittery feeling, trying to imagine that there weren’t several tonnes of earth above him, around him, trapping him.

And then they were through.

The surrounding view was such a stark contrast to the Middle Ring that it was like entering another world. Thousands of rickety wooden buildings crammed into each other as far as the eye could see. There were no glowing crystals here, only the warm, gentle flickering of paper-lanterns on street corners and spilling out of tiny rooms full of chaos, shouting, laughing, singing.

Erwin lived in one of the better neighbourhoods, close to the monorail station. The people living there were people who worked in the Middle Ring and as a result had enough money to keep the neighbourhood in good shape. Of the few scholars born in the Lower Ring like Erwin, most chose to live on campus, but Erwin preferred to live in the flat he had grown up in.

It was a simple, tidy apartment on the second floor of a quaint building built of earth and stone with a tiled roof. The surrounding flats were also well-built, practical and homely, and the block usually smelled of incense and sweet, black tea; a huge olfactory upgrade compared to the rest of the Lower Ring.

When he entered, his eyes ran across the sprawl of his research covering the apartment. Normally, he would continue with his work, maybe do some more readings, but he wanted today to be different. For Nile.

So, Erwin didn’t stay long, shrugging out of his scholar’s robes and into shabbier, brown ones with thread unravelling at the sleeves. Buttoning his high-necked jacket up the front by the patterned clasps, Erwin grabbed his money pouch, secured a knife within a hidden pocket, set a conical straw hat on his head to shield out the rain, and left.

A cannonball-shaped clump of earth came hurtling towards him, narrowly missing him and he cursed, turning to see some grubby kids playing earthball further down the street. A woman’s voice started shouting and a sheepish apology was muttered in Erwin’s direction.

He turned his back on the kids, hiding his face. Their simple enjoyment of earthbending causing his stomach to twist with something dark and bitter. He remembered that feeling. Picking up the pace, he tried to still his restless mind.

It was a relief when he reached Mike’s bar. It was cosy and inviting, always busy with conversation and laughter and sometimes music, but there was one major quirk which kept everyone talking, whether they loved it or hated it: the birds.

Mike collected strange birds, and he was the friendly, extraverted sort of barman who would tell any newcomer the reason why. He’d had two dreams growing up on the streets: the first, to own a bird zoo and the second, to be an alcoholic. A compromise was found.

People adjusted to it quickly - it was hardly the weirdest sight to be found in the Lower Ring, but it was still rather startling to walk in and hear and see the shuffling, squawking, cooing and feather-ruffling of over a dozen birds in cages dotted around.

Mike stilled when he saw Erwin walk in, dripping with rain. He was leaning over the bar top talking with two young men and paused mid-sentence, gazing at Erwin with mouth open. Even the birds seemed to go quiet for a moment.

Mike startled out of his shock quickly and ducked under the bar top to clasp Erwin by the shoulders.

“Holy Shu, Erwin! My man! It’s been so long,” He was one of few people in the city taller than Erwin, a real feat for someone who grew up underfed.

“Hi Mike,” he replied with a smile. It really had been a while.

“Sit down, sit down, here let me move this little guy,” Mike moved the cage of a small, bright blue budgie-pigeon from one of the stools and Erwin sat down. “Pig here is the latest addition to our feathery family,” Mike said, staring at the little bird lovingly, “Isn’t he beautiful?”

He placed the cage on the bar top next to Erwin. It was strange to see a budgie-pigeon so fluorescent in colour, and it twittered furiously, fluttering within its cage as if confused and angry. Erwin had to agree that the bird was beautiful, with its feathers all shades of purple, turquoise and sky-blue. He watched the bird’s activity and envied it. He hadn’t felt that worked up about anything in a long time. Usually he just felt tired.

“So, come on then, tell me why I haven’t seen you in months?” Mike placed a metal cup of hot, steaming rice liquor in front of him.

“Oh, just busy with research really. The University library is bottomless.”

Mike nodded but peered at him with an observant frown. Erwin willed him not to interrogate him, he wasn’t in the mood. Pretending not to see his friend’s expression, Erwin took a sip of the warm drink and sighed as he felt the warmth in his mouth and the smooth slide of alcohol down his throat.

“Well, my invitation to go see the next fight at Jian’s still stands. I’m telling you man, it’s always a great time. We don’t need bending to enjoy ourselves, and neither do you.”

“Sure, I’ll think about it.”

Mike gave him a disbelieving look and was called away to pour some more drinks. Erwin had said the same thing the last time, months ago, and had never taken Mike up on his offer.

At that moment, Erwin placed his cup back on the bar top, but as he did so his frayed sleeve got caught on the door hinge of the budgie-pigeon’s cage. He tugged at it with some annoyance, berating himself for not having the sleeves fixed sooner, but the sleeve was stuck fast to the cage and wasn’t going to come loose easily. Cursing, he gave a particularly hard tug.

With a resounding crash, the cage hit the floor and Erwin went with it, knees thudding against the hard surface. The impact caused the hinges of the door to loosen and in the same moment that his sleeve was freed, the door burst open, and a blur of blue feathers shot out.

The bar was instantly in chaos. The bird zipped around, trilling loudly as it did and clipping the heads of customers who shouted and ducked in response. The rest of the birds were soon screaming just as loudly, excited by the commotion going on.

“Shit! Someone catch Pig! But don’t hurt him!” Mike screamed.

Erwin could barely see the little thing it was moving so fast. Catching it seemed an impossible task. He saw some customers try and clap their hands over it as it zipped past, but to no avail.

As he was getting up off the floor, someone pushed past him. The short, dark-haired boy didn’t notice Erwin, eyes set on the loose bird.

He moved like a cat, stepping deftly onto a stool and then onto a table, dancing and weaving across the room after his prey. His steps landed softly on tables tops, stools, the floor as he chased the small bird around the room, miraculously managing not to knock over a single drink in the process.

Then, the boy stilled, crouched in wait. Suddenly, he leapt out, hands outstretched. He twisted elegantly in the air and dropped neatly between two tables, a ball of bright blue feathers twittering from between his hands.

All eyes turned to the stranger in awe. Then, applause broke out. The stranger turned.

Black hair, almost long enough to tie back and shaved short at the back, framed a pale face. Erwin realised that he wasn’t a boy, but a young man with a carefully guarded expression. Across the room, their gaze caught. The man might look young, but those grey eyes had seen far too much. There was something raw and powerful hidden behind that mask. Erwin was intrigued.

The stranger said nothing as he weaved between tables and placed the bird back in its cage with great care. The door shut with a heavy clunk, and the bird didn’t make a sound, accepting its fate.

Erwin realised he was still staring at the man and hastily looked away, taking another sip from his cup. The man was getting enough attention as it was.

“Say, that was amazing! How did you-“ Mike paused, peering at the man more closely, “Hey! You’re the fighter who knocked out Big Jim and The Fighting Birds last week at Jian’s aren’t you?”

The stranger tilted his head in acknowledgement, “Yup, that’s me.”

“That was easily the best fighting I’ve ever seen! I’m Mike,” they shook hands. “Here - have a drink on the house. Thanks for that, it’s such a pain when one of my lil guys gets free, especially on a busy night.”

“Appreciated,” said the stranger.

Erwin couldn’t help but stare again. This guy? The best fighter Mike had ever seen? He was so small that it was hard to believe. But as Erwin replayed the agility he’d just witnessed, and the raw power he’d seen in the man’s eyes, he found himself wondering.

“That’s a rare skill in this city,” Erwin said, turning to the man, “catching birds with your bare hands.”

“Yeah, well, where I’m from, it’s just an effective way to catch your dinner. No weapons needed. No bending either. It works.” The stranger inspected his cup carefully and then wiped the rim with a cloth from within his jacket, before taking a sip.

“Whereabouts are you from then?”

“Ningbo. On the coast.”

The gears turned in Erwin’s mind, running through his bank of knowledge, “Ah, Ningbo. I read that the earthbenders there are true craftsmen of underground tunnelling, is that true?”

A pause.

“Yes,” said the stranger softly, gazing into the distance.

Then, Erwin remembered something else about Ningbo. The fire nation had invaded the coastal town about 20 years previously. If Levi was from there, he was probably a refugee. Erwin kicked himself.

Great start.

“I’m Erwin, by the way,” he said, trying to brush past his mistake.

For the briefest moment, Levi’s hand stilled as he was about to lift the cup to take another sip. Erwin might have imagined it. Grey eyes turned to stare at him with a new curiosity.

“I’m Levi,” said Levi, “You know, most people around here don’t know where Ningbo is on a map, so what, you’re a merchant or something?”

“A scholar, actually.”

Erwin's face warmed under the continued intensity of Levi’s gaze. Relenting, he finally met the man’s eyes. To Erwin’s surprise, he felt something he hadn’t in years. As his eyes moved over Levi’s slender features, sharp jawline, delicate neck, he felt a stirring of interest and desire. And from the way Levi was looking at him, that interest might be returned.

Then, Levi did something which Erwin himself hadn’t done in a while. A simple act universally accepted as an expression of interest. Levi’s eyes moved from Erwin’s face downwards and then back up again, taking in all of Erwin. So, he was interested.

Interesting. Since Nile had died, since his accident, he hadn’t gone looking for company, but as his heartbeat increased, he found the feeling of being wanted very pleasant.

For a while, they exchanged the usual introductory pleasantries. Except, it was all the more thrilling for the little glances exchanged between them. He told Levi what he told most: that he was researching earthbending fighting techniques and the relationship between chi and bending.

He didn’t tell Levi that for most of his life he’d been a Royal Earthbending Guard. Mentioning that usually led to people asking why he wasn’t anymore. He wasn’t in the mood to explain.

Levi was relatively new to Ba Sing Se, he’d been there for a year. He might not say so with words, but the haunted look in his eyes told of war, and Erwin could only imagine what he might have been through.

Then, Levi had to leave. Erwin tried not to show his disappointment.

On his way out, Mike offered Levi a free drink if he could catch any other escaped birds in future. Levi snorted, grey eyes flickering one final time towards Erwin, and then was gone.

His stare remained etched into Erwin’s mind.

“That guy?” Erwin asked Mike, “The best fighter you’ve seen? Really?”

Mike smiled, eyes twinkling, “Oh it’s incredible to watch him. Never seen anything like it. His next fight’s in a few days, I believe. You two _obviously_ seemed to hit it off, so come on, if the possibility of a pull isn’t enough to convince you to join me, I don’t know what is.”

Erwin rolled his eyes. Mike was right though; he didn’t need any more convincing. He’d already made up his mind.

* * *

~~ **Levi** ~~

People knew better than to ask about Levi’s past. People knew better than to ask anyone about life outside the walls. Sometimes, Levi wished they would. Without speaking about his memories, they were starting to fade and get muddled, but there were things he didn’t want to forget: people he didn’t want to forget.

Like Hanji.

His earliest memory was of the sea. Once, he snuck out of the labyrinth of caves and tunnels that formed their underground home and followed the smell of seaweed. An earthbender had forgotten to close an opening between their tunnels and a cave opening into the sea. He remembered the salt on his lips from his tears like the salt spray from the waves lapping against the jagged rock pools.

Hanji had come to find him after a while. It was always Hanji who came to find him. Hanji had only been a teenager when Levi was born, so she was the closest to his age.

“Hey there ‘Vi, nice hideaway you’ve found,” she said.

Levi didn’t reply, balancing on a tall pillar of rock, arms wrapped around his knees, staring out to sea.

“You wanna tell me what’s wrong, bud?” Still no reply, but Hanji was patient and sat with him, sitting cross-legged below him on a rock ledge. He knew she could wait all afternoon if she had too.

“I wish I was an earthbender,” Levi’s voice was muffled because he spoke into his knees. He hoped Hanji couldn’t hear the wobble in his voice.

Hanji sighed, “Come on now, don’t say that. _I’m_ not an earthbender, and it’s never stopped me doing anything.”

Levi scowled.

“Actually, nonbending is its own superpower. People don’t expect much from us and freedom from expectation is its own gift, because everything we do, is already better than anyone expected.”

He peered at her, curious despite his commitment to sulking. “But I want to fight like the others! I want to help the resistance. Duke Hideo says only fighters should go out and fight when we take back our town. I want to help!”

Hanji had seemed sad, then. Or maybe Levi just remembered that with hindsight, later on.

“Then you’ll have to be fast, and agile, and train very hard. That’s how you can fight, especially against firebenders. And I just know you can do it, ‘Vi. Look at you! Perched on that stack like it’s nothing. You’ll be the best fighter we’ve got in no time.” Her words had the right effect, Levi lifted his head from his knees and looked more excited.

“Come on,” Hanji continued, getting to her feet, “I have a challenge for you. Show me how fast you are, I want you to try catching fish, without a fish trap! You’ll have to be fast, you’ll have to be clever. Think you can do that?”

He jumped down off his seat, full of child-like energy again. “I bet I can catch _loads_ of fish! I’ll show you!”

Hanji had laughed and helped him chase fish through the rock pools all afternoon.

* * *

** **Erwin** **

Normally, Erwin spent every day buried in research at the University, only going home to collapse into sleep, not that he ever slept for long. Sometimes he only went home because he’d forgotten to eat all day and the hunger became too much.

But after Nile’s birthday, Erwin couldn’t stop thinking about Levi. When he thought about the upcoming fight, he felt excited and curious. He hadn’t looked forward to something in a long time. 

And he couldn’t deny that he was interested. How long had it been since someone had been interested in him in return? This was the Lower Ring. Men like Erwin, men who ‘weren’t the marrying kind’ were common enough. All of those who weren’t welcome in the Middle and Upper Rings as well as merchants and travellers passing through knew that the Lower Ring would tolerate them. There were far worse types around, Lower Ringers weren’t going to judge.

Mike was waiting for him outside Jian’s Fighting Club. The Club was the largest and most popular of the informal fighting rings on the south side of the Lower Ring. It was strictly a nonbending club, which was partly why Erwin had never been before the accident and partly why it was so popular. Nonbenders outnumbered earthbenders in the city two to one.

The fighting ring was really a courtyard in between three-storey dorm houses with balconies turned into viewing decks where people crowded in to watch the fight below. When Mike and Erwin arrived, the place was already densely packed with Lower Ringers and the air was heavy with the stench of sweat and cheap beer and loud with laughter, chattering, arguing, shouting.

They shoved their way up claustrophobic stairs, finding a space on the top floor behind a group of squealing young people. Their height was a great advantage because they could see the fighting ring clearly over the youths’ heads.

The clatter of coins against metal from the stairway signalled the arrival of the man taking bets on the match. He shook the tin to gather attention, shouting over and over the list of people who would be fighting. Several people shoved past, eager to give him their copper pieces.

Erwin couldn’t help himself: it was good to be out like this. His blood was moving like it hadn’t in a long time, and the enthusiasm of the crowd was infectious, leaving his anxiety forgotten. Then, a loud bell sounded and there was a lot of cheering as people pushed against the bannisters to welcome the fighters into the ring.

Seven fighters walked on. One by one, they were introduced to the crowd. They all had flimsy fighting names that made Erwin roll his eyes, but they were certainly built like fighters: lots of muscle and don’t-mess-with-me attitudes. Last to be introduced was ‘the Fighting Falcon’, the favourite. Even before walking out, the audience was already going absolutely wild.

It was, of course, Levi.

From his viewpoint above, Levi looked particularly small. He looked like he wouldn’t last two seconds against the huge, muscled fighters he was going up against. As he turned to survey the crowd, he stood with his weight on one leg, arms folded over his chest and as his hair shifted, Erwin could see his expression and almost laughed out loud. The man looked _bored._

Mike leaned close so Erwin could hear him, “So, what happens now is that there will be three rounds of one-on-one fights between the six fighters-“

“But there’s seven.”

Mike smiled wide. “They’ll save the falcon til the finale.”

Erwin frowned at him, confused.

“He’s the undefeated champion. So, each week, they see how many more he can take at once.”

Understanding dawned and Erwin stared at his friend, struggling to believe what he was saying, “Spirits above! He’s going to fight _all_ of them?”

Mike laughed, “I told you, it’s quite the show.”

Their attention was drawn back to the scene below, where the fighting was about to begin. What followed was a blur of excitement. The thrill of each hit was amplified by the reactions of the crowd who spared nothing: cursing colourfully when a fighter stumbled, roaring unbelievably loudly when someone was knocked down.

Erwin had missed this. Hearing the rallying cries as one opponent beat another, he felt a longing to be on the battlefield again, to taste copper in his mouth, feel his blood rushing, the sweet joy of victory. But the joy of it was soured by an underlying sorrow he couldn’t ignore. He would probably never fight again.

Before he knew it, the rounds were over, and it was time for the finale. In the short interval, Erwin couldn’t help staring at the tiny, dark-haired figure standing at the edge of the courtyard below. Mike disappeared briefly to get them drinks, handing a bottle to Erwin. He took a swig of the bitter, dark beer, a bell sounded, and it was time.

Levi stood, stretched his arms above his head and pulled off his rough shirt. Erwin stared. Levi was lean and athletic, torso lined with firm muscles. It was also crisscrossed with scars, bruises, and across his back, the vicious, puckered skin of a burn scar. He was clearly no stranger to fighting.

He walked into the centre of the courtyard, stretching his arms upwards, and the crowd went wild. The other fighters stepped into the ring, six on one side and Levi, alone, on the other. It was a comical sight.

Then, silence. The whole crowd held their breath together as the fight-master raised his hands to present the final fight. He counted down.

Three.

Two.

One.

Levi shifted his stance, staying light on his feet, and he narrowed his eyes at his opponents. Was that _fear_ Erwin could see on their faces? Levi smirked, outstretched a hand, and beckoned. 

It was like a switch flipped and all six fighters started to move.

The first man charged him directly, a mistake. He tried to throw a punch, but Levi sidestepped, one fist to the thigh, one to the solar plexus, elbow across the jaw and the man was down. Less than five seconds.

Two more slowed, approaching with more caution. They shared a brief glance, and one of them nodded. They moved apart, approaching Levi slowly from two different angles. Levi’s eyes flicked from one to the other. He ground his back heel more firmly into the dirt.

In a flash, they both charged at him. Levi ducked low, reached out his leg, hooked an ankle around one fighter’s foot. The fighter tripped, and the other fighter fell over him. Both men were on the ground. They got up fast, but not fast enough. Levi was ready. With amazing agility, he spun and jumped, kicking one fighter in the temple and knocking him out instantly. The next was back on his feet and got a kick in the throat, sending him hurtling.

A huge, painful thud as he hit the floor. He didn’t get back up. The crowd screamed.

The remaining three fighters seemed reluctant to move, clustering together on the other side of the ring.

Levi smiled.

He opened his arms wide, “You feeling alright boys? I’d say you look a little _scared._ Not _cowards_ , are you?”

The crowd jeered and a bottle crashed as it was thrown onto the ring. The three remaining fighters frowned in anger and determination. One cracked his knuckles, another squared his shoulders, the last held his fists up, ready.

They stalked towards Levi at a careful pace. He moved to meet them in the centre on light feet. Then: a scuffle. They kept trying to get in a hit, pin him down, but he was too fast. He moved like an acrobat, hopping away, twisting in the air, cartwheeling. The three fighters couldn’t even touch him, and as the dance dragged on, they got increasingly frustrated.

The audience was loving it. Erwin couldn’t look away. Levi made fighting look like an art form. He was fascinating and beautiful to watch.

But the dance came to a halt as Levi landed a somersault at just the wrong moment. One of the fighters aimed a hit into his side just as he landed, and Levi stumbled. He crouched low, rolling away so that he missed the next blow. When he stood again, Levi’s expression had changed into one of determination.

Levi charged back at the man, easily ducking his hits, a kick to the knee to floor him, pulling the man’s head down, using the momentum to drive his knee into the man’s face.

Blood sprayed. The snap of a broken nose. Only two left.

Levi cartwheeled towards them. Only seconds later, in a blur of movement, the last two men were on the floor as well.

The roar of applause was deafening. Levi stood, breathing hard, six huge fighters knocked out or nursing their wounds in the dirt.

Levi raised his hands and took a bow. 

Erwin stared at Levi’s form, now slick with sweat, bare chest heaving with exertion, thrilled to feel the thrum of desire in his body. Levi was beautiful, and Erwin wanted him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have made the choice to use Hanji's pronouns as she/her in this part of the story, largely because this is Hanji in Levi's memory as he knew them in the past, and because I wanted Hanji to have their own story arc later where they discover who they are, what they love best, and what sort of person they want to be. More to come! xxx


	2. The Tale of Jian and Shakeel

~~ **Levi** ~~

“Again. Get up.” Duke Hideo ordered. A training session with the other resistance fighters.

Levi, by far the youngest at only seven years old, was face down in the dark cave, moments from being crushed by a boulder. He’d been too slow.

He ached all over, they’d been going for a few hours, and he was exhausted and starting to slow. He got back up and faced the fighter again. Him, a nonbender, a child, against a fully grown earthbender. But Duke Hideo was always pushing him, seeing how far he could go.

They settled into a fighting stance.

Levi ran. He had to be as fast and as agile as possible to get close – that was the only way to win against earthbenders. Get close and force them into hand-to-hand combat, which they were usually weak at. Levi, on the other hand, even at that age, was a natural.

Rocks were hurled at him, he leaped over them, around them, flipped between them. He was close now. The other fighter switched, sending out small disks instead of rocks. They came at him fast, so he pressed himself to the ground, wriggling, rolling. Levi used a large stalagmite for cover. Hidden from sight, he climbed up the other side of it and then launched off towards the fighter.

The fighter hadn’t expected Levi to attack from above and was caught off guard. Levi landed on him and they both tumbled to the floor, but the fighter rolled and caught his limbs, securing them to the floor with earthbending. He had failed again.

“Better. But do it again,” came Duke Hideo’s voice.

They went again.

A movement, and he was aware of another presence joining Duke Hideo to watch from the platform. He glanced over.

Behind Duke Hideo, Hanji stood. Levi had never seen her so angry. She spoke to Duke Hideo in an urgent tone, but Levi hadn’t been able to hear, and he’d turned back to the fight. When he looked back, she was gone. She didn’t come to watch his training again.

His mother never came to watch either. She had been ill for as long as Levi could remember. Most of the time, she was alright, she just forgot a lot of things. Sometimes, she would spend long periods of time in her room, underground, muttering to herself in the dark, forgetting to eat or go above ground for some air and sunlight, and Levi and the other resistance members had to take care of her and help her.

Then, very occasionally, there were times when she wasn’t alright at all. She would scream a lot, and get angry, and became terrified of everyone, especially Levi. When she was like that, Duke Hideo and Hanji made sure to keep Levi away from his mother, but he could still hear her cries.

He imagined, for a while, that Duke Hideo might be his father. But when he asked Hanji, she shook her head and hugged him for a very long time. She told him that his father came from a distant land, and no one knew very much about him. Beyond that, she wouldn’t say any more, she just looked worried and sad again.

He’d also asked her once why he was the only child in the resistance. Most of those who stayed in the underground caves preparing for the day they would take back their home were earthbenders, and all of them were fighting-age adults. Hanji told him once that the rest of their people had gone somewhere safe, ready to come back once the fire nation was gone.

Thinking back, he later realised he’d never asked why he hadn’t been taken somewhere safe too. Levi supposed he would never find out.

* * *

** **Erwin** **

Erwin woke the morning after the fight to the sound of thumping against the window shutters. The repetitive thumps had entered his dream as the thumps of Levi’s punches. He shook himself awake; dream forgotten, arousal lingering.

The shutters clattered again. He was pissed off, his dream had been so nice, whatever it had been. What was causing that sound?

He scrambled out of bed, crossed the room, and opened the shutters. A bright blue blur shot inside. It was Pig, Mike’s budgie-pigeon. The bird shot about the room with too much energy, and Erwin rushed after it, yelling at it not to knock anything over – but too late. He watched, with despair, as the little ball of feathers crashed into an open inkpot on his desk.

Black liquid spilled out across the mess of papers. He rushed to save them, but some were spoiled for good.

Erwin slammed his fist onto the table in frustration, and that seemed to do the trick. Pig came to a stop beside him, perching on the back of the desk chair.

“For Yangchen's sake, are you a platypus-bear? Look what you’ve done,” he said to the bird.

Then he noticed the piece of paper strapped to its leg.

“Oh,” Erwin murmured, “what’s this?”

He unrolled it and found two pieces of paper. The first, a handwritten note, read:

_Hey Erwin!_

_Check out what Pig can do! I heard that budgie-pigeons can deliver messages between people they already know. Apparently, they have a great sense of smell, just like me!_

_Hope you enjoyed the fight yesterday. A shame you had to leave after, we had a wild night at the bar. One of my regulars told me they run training sessions at the fighting club for people who want to learn. I’m going next week, you should come with me!_

_Mike._

_P.s. Your favourite fighting falcon is teaching the class._

The second piece of paper was a small advert for nonbending defense classes at Jian’s Fighting Club.

Erwin smiled reading the note. He appreciated his friend’s attempts to arrange for him to speak with Levi again, and perhaps before the accident, Erwin might have jumped at the chance. It had been incredible to watch Levi fight and Erwin didn’t regret going, but he was content to appreciate the man from afar.

Levi seemed young and fit, no doubt he had other admirers. Erwin wasn’t in a fit state for casual hook-ups anymore, and he wasn’t sure he had the energy for a fling. Sure, it was exhilarating being interested in someone again, but he wasn’t what Levi was probably looking for.

Besides, he didn’t want a repeat of what had happened the last time he’d tried to fight after the accident. His body wasn’t what it once had been.

He busied himself tidying the mess Pig had made and sat down to write a reply to Mike’s note. Erwin dipped the nib of his quill into the inkpot, but his hand hovered over the parchment without touching it. Touching the feathered end of the quill to his lips, he frowned. What was stopping him?

Eventually, he gave up trying to compose a reply to Mike’s note and sent Pig back without one.

Over the next few days, he returned to his usual routine at the University. As he poured over scrolls, his mind kept returning to the fight and to the way that Levi had moved. He seemed to find snippets of the man in every bending scroll he opened, and yet Levi was entirely unique.

Erwin couldn’t help it, despite his resolve to appreciate from afar, he was still fascinated. He caught himself trying to sketch what he could remember from Levi’s fight when he was supposed to be copying out some figures from a scroll. Whilst looking through an old firebending scroll, all he could see was Levi. There was a series of moves that looked exactly like the spinning kick Levi had used to take down two of the fighters in the ring.

Try as he might, his sketches couldn’t compare to the real thing. It bothered him. He felt an urge to understand Levi, to understand his unique style. The best thing would be if Erwin could sketch him live, whilst he fought.

Before he knew it, a week had passed, and the day of Levi’s training class arrived. Erwin found himself at Jian’s, notebook and charcoal pencils tucked into his scholar’s satchel. He was startled by a hand clapping him on the back.

“Erwin! You came!” Said Mike, beaming, “When you didn’t reply I thought you wouldn’t show.”

“I didn’t think I’d come either. I’m not here to train.”

“You’re not? Aw, come on Erwin, it’ll be fun!”

Erwin sighed. He forgot sometimes, that to most people his body looked perfectly fit and healthy. Sometimes, he morbidly wished he had lost a limb in the accident. At least that way, he wouldn’t have to explain all the time because people would be able to see evidence of what he’d been through.

“I can’t, Mike.” But his friend was frowning at him, confused. It was clear he had to elaborate further. “After I left the recovery center, the first thing I tried was training again. Guess I wanted to prove I could still fight, despite losing my earthbending and everything else. I only went to three classes, in the end. My body isn’t what it used to be, Mike. The slightest wrong move and everything just locks up. It’s…painful. I haven’t tried again since.”

“Shit, Erwin. I had no idea. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It is what it is.”

Thankfully, Mike didn’t make a big deal about it; instead, diverting the conversation as they entered the training ground and Erwin chose a corner to sit in and watch. His eyes flickered over the assembled Lower Ringers, many without shoes. It was roughest on the streets, he supposed they could use the fighting training most.

He couldn’t help the way his gaze sought out the familiar, short, dark-haired figure. Levi was standing with his arms crossed, observing the students as they filed in and chattered around the edges of the courtyard. A couple of other fighters were with him, dressed in training gear. Erwin settled onto a rickety stool and got out his parchment and charcoal sticks. His fingers moved readily across the page as the people before him started moving through exercises.

It was soothing and challenging to have live figures to draw from. Erwin enjoyed the practise because it forced him to settle his ever-moving mind on what was in front of him. At the same time, as the session went on, he was finding it harder and harder to focus. His gaze kept moving to Levi, his charcoal following.

Levi watched the class with keen eyes that saw everything, stepping in to give feedback or make adjustments. He was a good teacher. He was firm and critical, but never rude or cruel. From how his students responded, Erwin could tell that they respected him.

Watching the class took him back to his training days as a soldier of the Guard. Training was straightforward: put in the hard work, get out the result. He ached for such simple times. He ached for the feeling of strength in his body and the sweet fatigue afterward.

When he took a moment to look at the sheet of paper in front of him, he realised that most of the sketches were of Levi. He blushed. What was he, a teenager with a crush? He should be past this kind of infatuation.

Besides which, the session proved fruitless for what he really wanted: Levi hardly fought at all, and Erwin wasn’t able to actually observe or sketch his fighting style as he’d wanted.

He was lost in thought looking at the sketches, wondering if he could bring the parchment and sketch the man during his next fight instead when he was startled by a voice beside him:

“Nice drawings,” said Levi.

Erwin looked at him. How long had he been standing there? The man was so quiet, he hadn’t noticed him.

“It’s just a hobby.”

“Is that me you’ve been sketching?”

Ah. Erwin felt his face heat, caught in the act, and found himself completely at a loss for words. There was no denying it. Levi smirked at him; gaze intense. Pale eyes lingered for a moment too long on Erwin’s lips. Erwin swallowed.

“It’s Erwin, right? You could be a bit less creepy and offer to buy me a drink, you know,” Levi’s look was heavy with suggestion, “I’d probably say yes.”

Erwin smiled and looked away, running a hand self-consciously over his hair. He felt himself deflate; he knew what he had to do.

“Listen, Levi. I appreciate your interest, but I – I’m not what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for a quick lay, that’s not me.”

Levi’s gaze turned uncertain and curious and he raised an eyebrow, “Ah. I see. I guess I misread things, what with the,” he gestured to the drawings in Erwin’s lap, “you know.”

“Oh, yes, that,” Erwin bit his lip, “I mean. You didn’t misread things, I’m not _uninterested,_ I’m just not looking for anything…intimate right now. I actually came because I wanted to see you in action again. When I saw you in the ring last week, you were brilliant. The way you move, the way you fight fascinates me and I wanted to sketch you, to study your style. It’s unique.”

“Well, that is not what I expected you to say,” Levi said, seeming amused by something, “so you want to study my fighting style, is that right?”

“Yes.”

“Ok. You can come watch some of our training sessions if you want.”

“Really? Thank you. Yes – I would like that.”

“Sure.”

“Why are you letting me do this?”

Levi shrugged, settling into his usual stance, arms crossed over his chest. “Why not? Maybe I’d like to see your fancy ass University with a record of the scrawny, piece of shit immigrant who knocked out half the Lower Ring.”

Erwin smiled, “Maybe I’d like to see that too.”

Their attention was drawn back to the courtyard. By some hidden signal, the class was over, and Mike was making his way over to them with a full grin.

“Thanks, teach,” said Mike to Levi, “That was great! And now, I could really use a drink,” Erwin smiled and rolled his eyes; Mike could always use a drink, “Would either of you care to join me?”

* * *

Mike was in his element. Surrounded by his birds, at home in his strange, cosy bar, and in the mood to tell a story. Erwin and Levi sat side by side on stools at the bar, and Erwin tried not to think about how their thighs almost touched in the close space. The low lights favoured the line of Levi’s nose and flattered his pale skin and dark hair. He shook himself; he knew that following that line of thought was a bad idea, especially since he’d already rejected the man’s advances.

“How about _The story of Omashu?_ ”

“Aw, come on Mike, you literally told that one yesterday,” complained a regular on Levi’s other side.

“What? It’s a classic!”

“Give us something else, won’t you?”

“Fine, ok. Let me think…”

Whilst Mike was thinking, he wiped down the bar top. Out of the corner of his eye, Erwin thought he could see Levi staring at him. He sneaked a glance himself, but Levi was staring intently at his glass. He felt his heart rate increase. This was silly.

The regular turned to Levi, “Who are you? You new?”

“You don’t recognise him?” Mike interrupted, “From Jian’s Fighting Club?”

Eyes widened in recognition, and the guy looked like he was about to bombard Levi with more questions. Levi shrank away from him.

Mike clapped once, loudly, startling everyone. “I’ve got it! _The tale of Jian and Shakeel,_ after which the fight club is named!”

“The club’s named after a story?” Said Levi.

Shocked silence. Even Erwin turned to stare at Levi, thick eyebrows raised in surprise, “Ok Mike, you’ve got to tell this one.”

“The club’s star fighter and you haven’t heard the story behind the name? We must fix this.”

Mike made sure everyone at the bar had their cups full, slung a cloth over his shoulder, and began his tale.

* * *

**The Tale of Jian and Shakeel**

Long ago, there was a tribe who refused to share the secret of earthbending with anyone else. To protect their secret, they built a great city underground in caverns lined with glowing crystals.

Shakeel was a brave knight from a distant land who was determined to find the mysterious magic of earthbending and bring it back to his own people. A war had been raging for five hundred years, and he had sworn that he would end it.

On his search, he walked for fifty days and fifty nights through a great, barren desert. He was weak from hunger, scorched by the sun, parched from thirst, but still, he walked on. Finally, on the fifty-first day, he came across a hidden valley rich with fruits and fed by a brilliant waterfall. But the valley was not empty. There, he met the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her name was Jian.

In the hidden valley, he recovered from his journey, and as he did, Jian and Shakeel fell deeply in love. So great was their love, that even when she told him that she possessed the magic of earthbending, he refused to learn it from her, content just to be with her.

But Jian’s father was the king of the underground city, and when he discovered her love with the enemy, he locked her away. As a punishment for her treachery, he took away her bending, imprisoning her underground. But she was inconsolable and refused to believe that was the end. With a shovel, she started to dig, determined to dig her way out of her prison and find her lover.

It took her ten long years, toiling day and night, but finally, she reached the surface. There, she found Shakeel waiting for her by the waterfall, and they lived happily together and were not proud or resentful.

Generations later, the great city of Ba Sing Se was built above ground on the ruins of the ancient underground city. They say that the tunnel of the lovers exists to this day, hidden especially from the earthbenders of Ba Sing Se, and that it reveals itself to those who are worthy.

* * *

****Erwin****

Erwin headed back to Jian’s two days later to observe one of Levi’s training sessions. On his way there, Erwin passed through a square centred around a handful of slender trees. The little almond-shaped buds peppering their branches were just starting to open, and the little splashes of pink blossom were startling after months of colourless winter.

It was just warm enough for a group of kids to play football barefoot and the little square smelled of _langsat_ , a small, brown, round fruit that with sweet, juicy flesh, and which was in season in early spring. A couple of food vendors were pulling their wooden carts into the square around the trees, ready for the evening so that hungry Lower Ringers could grab fried meats and _bao_ on their way home after a long day’s work.

When he reached the training ground, several fighters were already sparring in the courtyard and the space reverberated with the sound of thuds, hits, and shouts. He spotted Levi almost instantly. The man was rolling away from a kick and he stood back up quickly in time to duck the punches of two more assailants.

Erwin settled onto the same stool as before and began sketching. Across the courtyard, Levi’s gaze caught his. The man nodded in acknowledgment and directed his sparring partners closer to where Erwin was sitting.

Levi was just as beautiful and mesmerising to watch as Erwin remembered. He moved with a fluidity that was so opposite to earthbending that Erwin ached, suddenly, for the world beyond the walls again. The time passed in a blur because he was so engrossed in watching and capturing the fighters. They moved on to practise with wooden sticks and Erwin stood so he could get closer, charcoal moving in broad strokes across the page to follow their motions.

He almost didn’t notice the stick hurtling towards him. A fighter had thrown it at Levi, Levi had ducked, leaving the projectile heading straight towards Erwin.

Erwin reacted automatically, his senses alert. He reached out instinctively for earth that would come up and block its path.

Instead, agonising pain.

He gasped with the shock of it, falling to his knees on the dirt floor. His ears were ringing and it felt like every muscle in his body was locked solid. Everything was tingling painfully like he’d just been struck by lightning, and heat seared through his chest. He tried to focus on his breaths and tried to repeat a haiku to himself, but he was struggling to center himself, nauseated and disoriented from the force of the pain.

Then, hands on him, his back, his sides. A voice from far away talking to him, but it was muffled like it was speaking through a wall. The hands were still moving over him, feeling the muscles of his neck, shoulders. Fingers cupping his jaw, trying to tilt his head - more pain. It hurt to try and move at all.

Suddenly he felt a blow on his back. Someone had hit him, hard, just below his left shoulder blade. Everything went white, and the ringing in his ears intensified. 

When he came to, he could breathe normally, and he became aware of the hard ground beneath his hands. Just like that, the pain was gone. Erwin released a sigh of relief and collapsed onto the floor, exhausted and dazed. Blinking, he was finally aware enough to look around him and saw multiple expressions of concern hovering nearby.

No.

He needed to leave. He didn’t want, nor need, anyone’s pity. He didn’t need the bombardment of questions. He didn’t need to watch Levi’s interest turn to disgust. Erwin tried to get to his feet.

Immediately, Levi and two other fighters were there to stop him, “Fuck, Erwin. Just sit for a bit, don’t strain yourself,” Levi said.

“It’s fine,” Erwin replied, “I’m fine. I just need to get home and rest, that’s all.”

He ignored Levi’s disbelieving look.

“Ok. Sure, ok. Just, rest here as long as you need, alright? Don’t rush.”

Erwin ignored Levi and tried, once more, to get to his feet. This time, he succeeded, though he was unsteady. Gathering up his notebook and papers into his satchel, he made to leave. So long as he could get out of there, the tight twist of shame in his chest would subside.

Levi protested more, but Erwin ignored him. Concerned whispering started amongst the fighters nearby. Erwin pointedly didn’t look at any of them, especially not Levi. He hurried out of the courtyard as quickly as he could manage.


	3. A Lost Art Form

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back ! Life happened, sorry folks. But this story is too embedded in my mind, and I need to get the rest of it out there, so I hope you all enjoy!

~~ **Levi** ~~

Levi’s people, the Ningboyan people, had cultivated a close connection between soul, body, and mind. Every Ningboyan knew about chi; about how it flowed within the body and within all living things; how it could become twisted and knotted after strenuous earthbending.

In the body, just as there were pressure points where nerves were left exposed, there were also points where chi flowed close to the surface. It was known that chi could be un-knotted just like tense muscles could, by caring for the body.

On one of her better days, Levi’s mother had taught him how it was done.

An earthbender had pushed himself too far and had fallen during training from exhaustion. He’d been rushed to the common cave, where Hanji had been quick to scold Duke Hideo and Levi’s mother was fetched.

They had stripped him down and laid him down on his front over a scratched blanket. A bush of rose-berries was placed over the fire. It smoked gently; filling the cave with a soothing, fragrant smell.

Levi treasured the memory of his mother in her own element. Her hands were practiced and moved over the man’s body as if she was reading him. Her fingers moved over the man’s shoulder blades, the ridge of his spine, the muscles of his upper arms, and her face looked gentle even as she frowned in concentration.

She showed Levi how his chi was uneven within his body as if something was blocking the flow of it from his torso and his right arm. Then she showed him all the places where such blockages were focused, like bottlenecks in a river.

When she was sure of the problem, she pushed back the sleeves of her robe and centred her elbow on a particular spot on the man’s back. She raised it and brought it down sharply.

The earthbender gasped in shock, but then it was as if all the tension in his body disappeared and he went loose and floppy like a jellyfish.

Levi smiled at his mother, eager to learn from her.

He hadn’t noticed Duke Hideo watching them from the shadows with a thoughtful expression.

* * *

**** Erwin ****

Erwin avoided the fighting ring. He avoided Mike’s bar. He knew what he was really doing was avoiding Levi. He threw himself back into his work, hardly leaving the University.

He’d built something of a nest in the library. Stacks of papers formed an impenetrable fortress around the desk he’d claimed. Words blurred into each other as he sat, day after day, night after night, pouring over bending scrolls with a renewed fervour.

The episode at the fighting ring had only served as a reminder of how fragile he was. It was clearer than ever that he must regain his earthbending.

Still, he needed to sleep and eat eventually. When he was so exhausted that he could barely stand, he’d take the monorail back home and collapse into an uneasy sleep. In his dreams, he was trapped underground, unable to move, mountains of rock above him, surrounding him, suffocating him. Levi looked down at him where he lay trapped in the crevice. His expression morphed into one of disgust; then pity. Erwin wasn’t sure which was worse.

Yet try as he might to bury the incident and get on with his research; something was nagging him; something which felt important.

A single blow had completely dissipated the episode of pain. Thinking back, Erwin knew that it must have been Levi who had done that. He had been the closest when Erwin had come back to his senses.

His research had hinted at a lost art form used to ‘un-twist’ chi; but it had seemed like a dead-end, something else which had died with the air nomads. Did Levi know this art form? If he did, it was more important than ever to speak with the man again and learn from him.

But the thought filled him with foreboding and heaviness. Erwin didn’t want to face Levi, now that the man had seen him at his weakest. He wasn’t sure why it bothered him so much – he certainly didn’t feel the same about the other fighters who had seen him in that state. Maybe it was because of how much he admired Levi that it hurt to have been seen like that.

In the end, fate intervened.

A week after the incident, Erwin was finally returning from the University on the last monorail. The moon was full, gazing down through a clear, chilled sky over the lines of washing strung between narrow alleyways. His stomach growled, aching to the point of painful, but it was late and every closed restaurant he passed was like a slap in the face. The empty contents of his cupboards back home came to his mind.

The smell of fried noodles immediately grabbed his attention. Garlic, onions, sweet bell-shaped mushrooms, soy sauce. Erwin’s mouth watered. The source was a rickety tea shop on the main road, only a few streets from his apartment. It was falling apart, badly weathered, and in places, the wooden eaves were physically supported by long sticks to stop the roof from falling down.

Lanterns dead, silent inside, if not for the tantalising aroma of food, Erwin would have thought it empty. Then, voices nearby. He followed the sound and the smell also intensified, making his way to the back of the shabby tea shop to find an alleyway cluttered with boxes, crates and bins.

Between the obstacles, Erwin glimpsed three small children devouring something out of bowls on the floor like they hadn’t eaten in days. Knowing the Lower Ring, that was probably the case.

He tilted his head, watching them. The way the children were huddling it was as if they were huddling around a fire for warmth. Was he mistaken, or did he feel like it was actually warmer the closer he got to the children? But there were no flames; no smoke. It was like the air was gently being heated by an invisible force to keep the children warm.

He finally had a clear line of sight and saw that they were huddled around a larger figure who was kneeling, dishing out the food from a larger pan. The figure stood, murmuring something to the children that Erwin couldn’t hear. As a head emerged over a crate, Erwin stilled.

It was Levi.

Any thoughts about the strange warmth immediately disappeared as Erwin fought between the urge to flee and the urge to approach. Too late: he’d been spotted. Levi’s grey eyes bore into his.

“Hey! Wait!” Levi called, making his way over between crates, “haven’t seen you around. You been doing alright, or whatever?”

“I’m fine. No need to worry, I was just on my way home.”

Levi shifted so that he could take a better look at Erwin’s face and once again Erwin felt scrutinised. He didn’t meet Levi’s gaze. He didn’t want to see the pity he might find there.

“I’ve just made noodles. I’ve got extra, if you want some,” Levi said.

In response, his stomach growled, loudly. Levi heard and raised an eyebrow at him. The smell of the food was strong in the alleyway, and the three children weren’t quiet as they ate. Erwin felt his resolve disappear, hunger taking over.

“Alright. Thank you.”

Levi nodded, and led Erwin towards the back door of the tea shop. The three children sat on the steps leading up to it, finishing off their own meals. One was wrapped in a large, red scarf, another appeared to have permanent frown lines, and the third had fair hair like Erwin’s although it was matted with dirt and sweat. They stood when they saw Levi and Erwin.

“Finished?” Levi said and three heads nodded in response, handing Levi their empty wooden bowls, “Alright. Scram then, before my boss sees you.”

The two dark-haired kids backed away immediately, but the blond stayed, looking up at Levi with watery eyes, comically large in a bony face. Then, the child wrapped their arms around Levi, startling him completely. Levi’s expression warmed as he looked down at the small figure hugging him.

“Come on, Armin, time to go,” Levi said gently. The child reluctantly let go, and the other children pulled them away. It was then that Levi turned to meet Erwin’s gaze. He hadn’t realised he was smiling as he’d watched the scene unfold.

“What?” said Levi.

“It’s nice. Helping those kids like that.”

“Shut up.”

He didn’t say any more about it as he led Erwin inside.

An attempt had been made to make up for the crumbling exterior of the tea shop by making the interior as decorative as possible. Unfortunately, covering every spare inch of wall in posters, old newspapers and discarded pieces of art made the space feel smaller, messier, louder. The papers on the walls were yellowing with age and streaked with ambiguous stains. An odd assortment of animal statues and trinkets lined the counter at the back of the shop, leaving hardly enough space for anyone to cook or serve customers.

As Erwin sat at a high stool by the cluttered counter, Levi busied himself dishing the remaining noodles into two bowls and Erwin’s eyes flickered over the large containers of tea: _oolong, ginseng, hibiscus, matcha, golden._

Levi pushed aside a statue of a lion-turtle and made space amongst the ornaments for Erwin’s bowl, “The statues were not my idea, bit of a pain if you ask me. But the boss is superstitious, so, you know how it is. Here, eat.”

Erwin didn’t need telling twice, devouring his food almost as fast as the starving street kids had. Levi ate at a much slower pace, picking each bite carefully and thoughtfully with his chopsticks, eyes occasionally flickering towards Erwin.

“I take it you work here?” Erwin asked.

“Yeah, pay’s pittance but the boss lets me sleep in the back room. Beats sleeping in a dorm like some of the other fighters at Jian’s.”

“Makes sense. Actually, I wanted to ask you about what happened at Jian’s last time,” said Erwin, “I was frozen with pain but then it just dissipated … did you do something?”

“I just eased some of the blockage of your chi.”

Erwin blinked. His mouth fell open. So, it was true. Levi did know the lost art form of chi blocking. He floundered, five different things cramming to be said at once. Luckily, he’d already finished inhaling his food, otherwise he might have choked on it.

“You know about chi blocking? But…how? I’ve come across hints of the art in air nomad lore but I thought it was all lost, like so much else.”

A guarded expression overtook Levi’s face, visibly shrinking away from Erwin’s enthusiasm, “I didn’t realise it was a big deal or anything. My mother taught me, that’s all.”

“Could you tell me more about it? Could you show me how it works?”

Levi narrowed his eyes, “Why? Why’s it so important to you, anyway?”

“It could be the missing piece of research I’ve been searching for.”

There was silence for what felt like too long as Levi contemplated this, slowly finishing off the last of his food. Erwin stood, leaning against the other side of the counter and willing his racing heartbeat to slow down.

“No.”

It was like a bubble had burst and Erwin deflated, “No? Oh – I guess, well, no worries obviously, I mean-“

“I don’t buy it.”

“What? Don’t buy what?”

But Levi was looking at him again with his sharp, grey eyes as if scanning him, seeing through him, taking him apart piece by piece. Erwin swallowed, confused and nervous.

Quick as a flash, a figurine hurtled across the short space between them straight towards his head. Instinctively, Erwin reached to defend himself, but years of earthbending training were ingrained too deep within him and he reached for earth as he reached out an arm to block his head. Just like before, something twisted and clicked the wrong way and an intense pain suddenly seared down his right arm and burned in his back. Erwin gasped and hardly noticed when the projectile hit him straight in the forehead.

“Well, fuck.” He heard Levi say under his breath. In the next moment, Levi was behind him where he was curled against the counter, hands clutching it for support. Light hands moved over his back. What was Levi doing? If he wasn’t in so much pain he’d be really pissed off.

He closed his eyes as Levi’s fingers ran over his spine, up his neck, down the length of his arm. Even through his cotton jacket, Levi’s touch was warm, and Erwin wondered idly how they must look, standing so close in an empty tea shop in the middle of the night.

Something sharp slammed into the same spot beneath his left shoulder blade and suddenly Erwin was blinking, dazzled to feel the pain dissipating.

He spun around, breathing heavily and grasped Levi’s arm in a harsh grip, “Ok, what in Yangchen's name was that for.” Erwin hardly recognised his voice: it was darker, deeper, and more commanding. Levi tugged out of Erwin’s grasp easily.

“Just calling you out on your bullshit.”

Erwin only felt his annoyance growing into anger. Who did Levi think he was, anyway? But Levi continued before Erwin could say anything, “You were an earthbender, weren’t you? You have chi points in all the same places as an earthbender. But you’re not anymore. When I threw that figurine at you, it was just like the other day. I saw the motion you made with your hand. It was like you reached out for your bending to protect you, but it just caused you pain instead. I bet that’s the real reason you’re so interested in learning about chi blocking. You want to get your bending back.”

He stared at Levi, eyes wide with shock.

A long moment passed.

“It’s late. I should go. Thank you for the noodles.” Erwin shoved past Levi roughly, heading for the door.

“Erwin, wait. Don’t go just yet-“

“I don’t appreciate being _purposefully triggered._ Ok? You shouldn’t have done that.”

“I just wanted to know what was really going on.”

Erwin turned towards the door again.

“Look, fuck – I’m sorry, ok? I just wanted to know whether my theory was right.”

“Well, it was. Happy now?”

Levi had the decency to look sheepish, “Hey if that’s why you really want to know about chi blocking, I could try to have a go. Y’know, I could take a proper look, if you want.”

Erwin sighed, but couldn’t help himself. Without looking at the other man, he asked, “Do you think it’s possible? To get my bending back?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never tried something like this before. But it’s worth a shot.”

Erwin nodded, “Ok. Thank you.”

They stood for another awkward moment longer before Erwin opened the door, nodded a goodbye, and left.

* * *

****Erwin****

The day Levi was set to come over to attempt to unblock his earthbending, Erwin cleaned his apartment properly for the first time in a long time. He hadn’t had a guest since before the accident; there hadn’t been a reason to tidy it. It took him most of the day, and he decided not to go into the University for once.

He beat out the rugs, dusted the surfaces, made a decent effort on the mess of papers across his desk, took out the bins and even washed the dishes. Erwin still felt a residual annoyance that Levi had purposefully set off an episode just to test a theory, but at the same time, he’d offered to try and help Erwin regain his bending. Erwin didn’t know what to think or feel. Mostly he felt strangely jittery.

Evening. A knock at the door.

Erwin smoothed back his hair, making sure the strands were neatly gathered in its usual ponytail at the nape of his neck, and glanced over himself, before opening the door.

Levi had a satchel slung across his body and was wearing a simple, long-sleeved brown robe with a wide collar exposing his slender neck and sharp collarbones. Erwin’s eyes flickered over the pale, exposed skin as he welcomed the man into his apartment. Their height difference seemed extreme in the narrow doorway, and Erwin was surprised by the involuntary shiver of arousal invoked by it.

“Erwin.”

“Levi,” He replied by way of greeting.

Levi moved past him into the main living area. Erwin’s apartment had three rooms: a bedroom, a living area which also served as a study, and a small kitchen. The small communal washrooms and toilets were downstairs on the ground floor.

“Can I get you any tea?” Erwin offered, rusty manners somehow kicking in.

“Erwin. I work in a tea shop.”

“So?”

“So, I’ve had enough fucking tea.”

Erwin smiled.

“What? Why are you smiling like that?”

“Nothing. Ok then, no tea. Straight to it?”

Levi nodded, taking off his satchel and leaving it by the low table and cushions.

“Have you got a tatami mat or something you can lie down on?”

Erwin reached for one of the mats rolled up under the low table and rolled it out along the floor. He was suddenly aware of the warmth of the paper-lantern lighting the room and the steady patter of light rain on the roof. As Levi gestured for him impatiently to lie down, he felt a light flush cover his face. He hadn’t thought much about the intimate position this would put him in. Too late now.

“Take off your jacket and shirt,” Levi said. Erwin did his best not to react to the words and hide his deepening blush.

Levi raised an eyebrow at him, “don’t tell me you’re shy.”

“Of course not,” Erwin replied, a little too quickly.

He unbuttoned his jacket and pulled his robe and undershirt over his head. He was left in just the loose trousers he had been wearing under his robe. Levi made sure not to look at him, and silently directed him so that he was lying face down on the mat. It was cool and rough against the soft skin of his stomach. Levi moved so that he was kneeling next to him.

There was the snap of spark rocks being struck and the smell of smoked rose-berries started to fill the room.

“This ok? My mum always used to have rose-berries.” Levi placed the incense in a holder on the low table.

“Sure.”

Erwin held his breath as he anticipated Levi’s touch. He was so tense he jumped when warm fingers made contact with the bare skin of his lower back. Levi snorted.

“Shut up,” Erwin grumbled.

Slowly, as the gentle incense started to cloud his head and Levi’s fingers moved over the taught muscles of his back, he began to unwind. It was a lot more pleasant now when he wasn’t in crippling pain. He wasn’t unaffected by the contact, either, but he ignored it and kept his face turned away.

How were Levi’s fingers so warm? At times it felt like they were points of heat searing through his skin as Levi explored and delved, as if he was learning Erwin’s body and seeing with his hands what his eyes could not.

It wasn’t long before Levi pulled away, and Erwin instantly missed the touch. The still air of the room seemed suddenly chill.

Erwin turned his head and pushed himself up so that he was leaning on his forearms, daring to sneak a glance at the other man. Levi’s eyes were unfocussed; he was lost in thought. Erwin couldn’t tell from his expression whether the news was good or bad, and he felt the anxiety return.

“So…?” Erwin asked, the tinge of hope colouring the word.

“I’m sorry Erwin, I don’t know how to unblock your earth bending. It’s strange. Half of your chi points don’t seem to be there. It’s like half of your body’s connection with chi has been severed. I haven’t seen anything like it before.”

“Oh.” It was like a breath he’d been holding had been released. Another dead end. Somewhere deep within, a truth he’d kept locked well away started to rattle. Could it be? Could it be that he might never regain his earth bending?

“Can I ask something?” Levi said quietly, perhaps sensing Erwin’s dejection, “Why stay?”

Erwin looked at him with confusion, “What do you mean?”

“If you really want to get your earth bending back, surely there’s more answers out there beyond the walls than here. I might not know how to help, but you could go to the badger-moles, the first earth benders. There’s many places you might find the answers you need.”

Erwin ran a hand over his hair and sighed, “You’re right. There are more answers out there. I was just hoping I could find them here.”

“Have you been beyond the walls before?”

“Yes, I have.” A memory of the sea flashed through his mind. His team had done a few missions well beyond the wall for reconnaissance. When he’d seen it for the first time, he’d stared for a long time. It went on and on forever. His mind could hardly comprehend something so expansive, something so huge.

“Then what’s holding you back?”

He puzzled over this, trying to put together the right words. Levi clearly wasn’t one to beat around the bush. Since the accident, Erwin had hardly spoken to anyone, let alone someone new. No one had asked him these kinds of questions. It felt strange like he was offering a hidden layer of himself to Levi with each answer.

“People don’t talk about it much, but we both know there’s a war on out there Levi. And you’ve seen what happens to me with the tiniest provocation. I just – I mean, if I went out there and traveled, what if something happened? I wouldn’t be able to protect myself I’d be-“

“You’d be defenseless,” Levi said, and his voice sounded oddly choked and thick suddenly.

His words cut straight through Erwin’s chest. He’d hit the nail on the head. They didn’t look at each other for a while, Erwin reeling that he’d just revealed his greatest source of anxiety to another, and someone he hardly knew at that. Why had he done that? He felt exposed and soft and he didn’t like it.

“I could teach you,” Levi said eventually.

Erwin huffed a dark laugh, “I think I’m beyond help. You saw what happened.”

“No, Erwin. Seriously. Your problem is that you’ve been taught to use your earth bending, and you reach for it automatically and that’s what triggers your episodes. I grew up fighting without bending. I can teach you how to fight in a totally different way, train you to find different motions that don’t set off your bending instincts.”

The look he sent Levi was quizzical, “Really? You think it’s possible?”

“Trust me, I’ve taught enough left-footed brats to know that training _anyone_ is possible.”

“You are the best fighter I’ve ever seen. If anyone could train me, it’s you.”

Levi looked away at that, pushing his hair out of his eyes as he did. The room suddenly felt very warm and cosy, the two of them sat close together on the floor with the warm light of the lantern casting gentle shadows across everything.

“Thank you, Levi, but I just had to ask…why? Why help me?”

“Because no one should have to live in a cage. No one should be anyone’s prisoner.”

He immediately wanted to ask more questions, but Levi was still turned away from him and he got the impression it wasn’t a good idea.

Not long after, Levi stood and he seemed to have withdrawn into himself, expression guarded once more. Erwin stood to thank him and see him out and left to muse over all he’d learned.

* * *

**~~Levi~~**

It’s not exact, the age at which children discover their bending. Most kids know by the age of five, but just like every other skill, some bloom late.

By the age of nine, Levi had found peace with being a nonbender. He’d already learned how to fight without it, and he could even take on earthbenders and win. He was making Duke Hideo proud. He might be small, he might be young, he might not have earthbending, but he could fight. He had purpose; he could help.

But nothing in Levi’s life was so simple.

It started when he triggered one of his mother’s bad episodes. He went to see her where she was resting in her room. All he’d done was touch her, she’d looked at him, and the look on her face had haunted him ever since. She’d started screaming, shouting about fire, fire benders coming, it was too hot, there was a fire bender in her room. She was terrified of him.

Hanji came running. She reached out to pull him away from his mother, but she yelped when her hand made contact with his arm. She stared at him, and between her concern and his mother’s fear Levi felt smaller and more out of place than ever before.

Hanji snapped out of it and dragged Levi away by the back of his tunic. When they were far enough that they could hardly hear his mother’s screams Hanji pressed the back of her hand to his forehead, frowning.

“Levi, do you feel ill? You’re really hot to the touch.”

He shook his head, hardly hearing her. The look of terror in his mother’s eyes was all he could think about.

“You sure?” Hanji asked, more desperate this time, “no coughing, sneezing, feeling very tired, anything like that?”

Levi shook his head again, “Hanji, what’s going on?” his voice sounded small and scared.

“Don’t worry,” she said, though her smile wasn’t convincing, “you’ve done nothing wrong, alright? Your mother’s just unwell that’s all. And I need to speak with Duke Hideo.”

Her expression changed and grew serious. She made sure she had his full attention before she spoke next. “Listen, Levi. Whatever happens, know that everyone can always choose what kind of person they’re going to be. No matter who our parents are. No matter what we live through. Ok?”

Her words hadn’t made much sense at the time, but he’d nodded anyway.

Duke Hideo behaved very oddly after Hanji spoke to him later. He told Levi to rest, to lie down as if he was ill. He was ordered to take a break from training or hunting, and Duke Hideo _never_ told people to take a break. Every day, Duke Hideo and Hanji would come to his room and feel his forehead, but when he told them he didn’t feel ill and asked to go outside, they only seemed more concerned.

A week passed and he still didn’t feel ill. Levi was hot to the touch all the time, and he could feel the way that people shrank away from him when they got too close to his bed to check on him, like he was radiating heat.

By the end of the week, he’d had enough. It had been too long since he’d been above ground and he felt like he was suffocating. He bullied an earthbending friend into sneaking him up and they made their escape when the rest of the resistance wasn’t looking.

That must have been what triggered his bending, that first time. The sudden change, bursting out of the darkness and feeling the full strength of the sun seep into him, it was like being charged up with power.

As he inhaled the warmth and delicious scent of freedom and sunlight, he felt something shift. When he breathed out, he was breathing fire.

His earthbending companion yelped with shock. There was no doubt about it.

Levi was a firebender.


	4. New Student

****Erwin****

Erwin’s dreams started featuring a recurring character: a certain fighting falcon with a heated touch. He dreamt of Levi’s fingers, touch, his cock, all sweltering with warmth against his body.

And he dreamt of the sea. He would look down across the endless expanse of blue from above, circling and diving like a bird. It went on and on in every direction, for as far as the eye could see.

Travelling had never been his dream. It had been Nile’s. The day after Levi visited his apartment, Erwin was in the University library as usual. He rounded a corner and there, on the wall, a decaying map of the world hung; desolate and dusty. Seeing it, Erwin was struck by a memory.

Nile, half-asleep in a pile of scrolls. He’d laugh to see Erwin now, spending most of his days in the same state. Back then, Erwin had been the one pulling Nile outside, forcing him to get some fresh air or food, forcing him to take a break.

Nile, so empathetic, so dedicated, so idealistic. Where Erwin was full of ambition, Nile had been full of daydreams. It was Nile who had dreamed of going beyond the walls, traveling the world, learning about the other peoples, the other benders. It was Nile who had wept to read of the airbenders, Nile who had wept over all those lives lost.

Erwin’s fingers hovered over the map of the four nations. Nile had dreamt of seeing it all, living a life of learning and adventure, but he never did.

Years later, after they’d parted ways and Erwin had been busy rising through the ranks of the Guard, Nile still hadn’t left the city. He’d asked Nile why.

“Because it’s a dream, Erwin,” Nile had said as if the answer was obvious.

“But you always said we should follow our dreams. I’m following mine, why can’t you follow yours?”

Nile smiled and shook his head. “We don’t always get to live our dreams. I can’t leave Ba Sing Se, I have to manage the estate, the family business. And who would be at home to look after my mother? I could never leave her. I have duties. Responsibilities. Some dreams have to remain just that, dreams.”

It had been sad to hear his friend so changed by the years. Erwin hadn’t understood.

It wasn’t fair. Nile, who had wanted more than anything to travel, had died before stepping foot outside the walls of Ba Sing Se. He’d remained a prisoner of duty and responsibilities to the city, the fine balance of rules and society that ruled the lives of those in the Middle and Upper Rings.

Maybe Erwin had escaped that by growing up in the Lower Ring, where people lived more freely. Or maybe he hadn’t. Hadn’t he devoted his life to serving the city as part of the Guard? Who was he, now, without his earthbending? Could he even serve his city? What if he couldn’t?

Levi was right. There was more knowledge outside the walls than in. If he really wanted his earthbending back, his life back, his sense of self back, he had to go out there and find a way. He could go and find the badger-moles, and if they didn’t hold the answer, he could travel to the North Pole where the waterbending healers were experts at understanding chi in the body.

If Levi could teach him to fight, there would be nothing stopping him from going. Scholars still went out on research trips, despite the dangers. Erwin couldn’t think of any other reasons why he shouldn’t. Slowly, he felt hope unfurling within him again.

* * *

Levi seemed distant when Erwin arrived for his first training session. It was impossible to read his expression or his mood, and he wasted no time running Erwin through a series of punishing exercises. Next, they jumped straight into sparring, and Levi seemed to spare him nothing. Levi pushed him, watching the way he punched, the way he kicked, the stances he would settle in.

The hard rhythm came at a price. Erwin was out of practise and out of shape. He was no stranger to pushing himself, but his own fear of triggering an episode kept holding him back. He was hesitant and unsure, where all his life fighting had been straightforward for him

Inevitably, he moved in just the wrong way and collapsed as he was paralysed once more by pain. Levi didn’t even blink, though many of the others practising in the fighting ring might have. Levi wasted no time, hitting Erwin's pressure points to un-twist his chi and pulling him back onto his feet.

“Can you keep going?” Levi asked, with only the slightest hint of remorse.

Erwin steeled himself. No way was he going to give up, “Of course.”

Levi raised an eyebrow but didn’t ask him again. By the end of their first session, Erwin had been locked into crippling pain three times. Levi didn’t even seem to have broken a sweat. They sat side by side on a bench in the corner sharing a flask of water as Erwin recovered.

“You’ve had formal training,” Levi stated, “where from?”

“I was a captain of the Guard. Before the accident.”

Levi’s gaze flickered over to him, “This accident, it’s the reason your chi’s all fucked and you can’t earthbend?”

“Yes.”

“That’d do it, I guess. Anyway, your Guard’s been teaching you crap,” Erwin smiled. He’d love to see what General Pixis would say to that, “You’ll need to unlearn almost everything they taught you and re-learn it, but properly this time, if you’re going to fight again. Are you prepared to do that?”

Erwin gazed across the fighting ring, eyes flicking between the fighters. He wanted nothing more than to be able to fight again, “Yes. I’m ready.”

“Good. Now fuck off, I’ve got training. See you in two days.”

* * *

Slowly, Levi taught him an entirely new way to fight. Where before he would settle into an earthbending pose out of habit, now he was learning how to be lighter on his feet, how to be more adaptive and agile. Levi quickly noticed that Erwin’s right arm was a weak point, and Erwin quickly explained how many of the bones would probably never fully heal; how they’d almost needed to amputate.

After that, Levi taught him a style that favoured his left side and used speed and kicks rather than punches. It was far superior to sketching Levi while he trained. Now, Erwin was learning hands-on.

As he improved, the episodes became less frequent. Levi was ruthless, pushing him in creative ways to figure out all the ways the episodes were triggered, but his ruthlessness paid off. Soon, Erwin understood exactly how to avoid triggering them in a fight.

One day during training, they were startled by the sound of laughter and a child’s cry from just beyond the fighting club’s entrance. Levi immediately snapped to attention at the sound and walked quickly towards it. Erwin wasn’t far behind.

“Are you a boy or a girl?” Sneered a man’s voice. It was rough, the voice of a smoker, and from the sounds of snickering, there were others with him. The sound of a slap, “I said, _are you a boy or a girl?”_

Rounding a corner, Erwin finally had a clear view of what was happening. In the street adjacent to the fight club, four men were huddled around something against the wall. Moving closer, Erwin saw what it was, or rather _who_ it was. It was the same blond street kid Erwin had seen outside Levi’s tea shop the week before.

The kid’s face was streaked with tears and they were so small compared to the men. Levi walked right up to them. Behind him, Erwin could see that his back was shaking with anger.

“Oi! Get away from the kid,” yelled Levi.

The lead bully turned to him, yellowing teeth revealed as he laughed. It sounded dirty and slimy, “Oh? And what are _you_ going to do if we don’t, shorty?”

Levi’s hands clenched and unclenched. A moment stretched out, far too long, where Erwin wasn’t sure what Levi would do – would he fight the men? Erwin knew he was more than capable of defeating them all.

Then, a curious thing happened.

Beneath his feet, the ground started to smoke. Or that’s what it looked like. The rain from the puddles seemed to be evaporating like it was being heated, but that was odd because they were shaded by tall buildings on either side and it was overcast. It definitely wasn’t hot enough for the puddles to evaporate like that. Erwin looked around, confused. Levi didn’t seem to have noticed, focused on the bullies.

Erwin shook himself, there were more pressing issues at hand. If Levi wasn’t going to make a move, the least he could do was show his support. Erwin stepped forward so he was standing beside Levi, “You don’t know who you’re messing with. This man is the greatest fighter in Ba Sing Se, don’t you know?”

The men looked a bit more wary, seeing Erwin. He was taller than them and supposed he looked intimidating even if he wasn’t the one they should be afraid of.

“Oh yeah?” Sneered the leader, but he seemed less certain, and the four men had backed off slightly away from the kid cowering against the wall.

“Surely you’ve heard of the fighting falcon?” Erwin said, “His most recent fight, he took out eight of Jian’s best fighters.” It was true, the night before Levi had faced _eight_ opponents. Erwin had never cheered so loud.

“Yeah, so?”

“Nice to meet you,” Levi said, eyes never leaving the leader’s face.

The bullies looked between themselves. One of them startled suddenly and Erwin thought he saw the man’s eyes light with recognition and fear.

“Well. Nice to meet you too,” said the leader, but was cut off by one of his gang who pulled him aside to whisper urgently in his ear. The leader looked back at Levi skeptically and Erwin heard him say “Really? You sure?”

“Hm, guess it’s your lucky day, brat. See you around,” the leader said, still looking confused as his men pulled him away and they disappeared quickly down the street.

Levi’s voice was very quiet, “You didn’t have to do that. I can look after myself.”

He reached down to help the blond kid up off the floor.

“I know,” replied Erwin, “a little support never hurt though.”

Levi looked at him for a moment, puzzled, and looked as if he was going to say something else. There was a flicker, and for a moment Erwin thought he was seeing what Levi was truly feeling, but then it was gone and Levi turned his back, once again hiding who he was from Erwin.

Levi turned to the blond kid: “Armin, I told you not to leave Eren and Mikasa. You’re stronger together. Where’d they go?"

The kid was trembling and seemed to struggle to find the words, “I don’t know.”

“Do you mind if we finish early today,” Levi said to Erwin, “Armin needs to find his friends.”

“Of course,” Erwin said with a smile. Levi didn’t return it, turning quickly away and taking Armin’s hand. He didn’t look back.

* * *

**~~Levi~~**

The resistance was in chaos. No one knew what to do with Levi. He didn’t know what to do with himself. How could he, a Ningboyan, be a firebender? No matter who he asked, no one would explain. Even Hanji wouldn’t explain it.

Everyone started treating him differently. The other fighters still trained with him, but they were scared when he came close. He stopped trying to visit his mother after a while. He didn’t know who was more frightened: her of him, or him of her.

There were other differences he’d never noticed before. Where Ningboyans had red-brown skin and green eyes, Levi had pale skin and grey eyes. Such small things had never seemed to matter before. Then there was the heat radiating from him that he couldn’t seem to turn off. When he thought about it, for his whole life he had never been cold, even in the depths of bitter winter underground.

The discussion raged on. Fighters talking in low voices. Hanji arguing with Duke Hideo. It seemed like she was always arguing with Duke Hideo.

Levi spent a lot of time in the cave by the sea, which the resistance had decided to leave open for him and the handful of other nonbenders. Non _earth_ benders. He felt like an infant again, unsure of his place, feeling like he didn’t belong. Except this time, he knew for a fact that he didn’t belong.

Duke Hideo took him aside one day, expression serious.

“Levi, I wanted to talk to you about your bending. Your firebending.”

Levi braced himself, he had expected something like this. Would Duke Hideo send him away? He couldn’t look him in the eye.

“I think you might be the most valuable, secret weapon we have. Levi, what you have is a gift. A gift that no one will be expecting. You will be our greatest soldier, do you understand?”

Levi had looked at him then, shocked, “You’re not sending me away?” He asked, voice wavering.

“Goodness, no! We would never send you away, my boy. You’re far too good a fighter for that.”

A weight lifted from his chest. He could still fight! He could still belong; he could still help take back their home.

“But Levi, if you’re going to continue to fight, you need to learn how to control and use your firebending. That’s what we’ve been discussing. You see, the only way you can learn how to firebend, is if you find a teacher. A teacher from the fire nation village.”

He hadn’t understood until Duke Hideo had spelled it out for him.

“Levi, you’d need to go to the fire nation school.”

He blinked. Had he heard correctly?

“But they’re the enemy,” Levi said weakly.

Duke Hideo nodded, “Yes, and you’ll be our spy. The last thing they’d see coming. It’s a brilliant plan. You’d be helping the resistance in a way only you can.”

Levi was silent for a while. Going to school? Going to fire nation school? That was the last thing he’d expected to do. But if Duke Hideo asked him to, if he could serve his people this way, he’d do it. He’d do anything if Duke Hideo asked.

“Ok,” said Levi, “I’ll do it. I’ll train to become a firebender. I’ll be a spy.”

The look of pride Duke Hideo gave him was almost worth everything that came after.

* * *

****Erwin****

As the weeks passed, something heavy seemed to slowly dislodge from Erwin’s mind and soul as he found the strength in his body again. The motions Levi had taught him were starting to feel familiar, second nature, and he could spar with other fighters now without a single episode.

More than that, he was starting to settle into a friendship with Levi. The man hadn’t flirted with him since Erwin had turned him down, but he would still catch Levi watching him. The way Levi looked at him had changed into something more curious, more confused, and thankfully less guarded. Erwin wasn’t sure what it meant, but he found that he enjoyed the attention and the mystery.

Steadily, as he became better at sparring, he felt a growing desire to leave Ba Sing Se. It just felt right, like he’d always been headed that way, like it was his destiny to go and explore the world. He started spending less time in the University library and more time in the merchant quarter of the Lower Ring. Sometimes he would talk late into the night with some of the other travelers, planning routes and listening to their stories about the world.

He was good enough at fighting now that Levi was starting to spar with him properly. Erwin could hold his own for some time before getting floored and against Levi, it felt like quite the achievement.

Just over a month after they began, Erwin managed to catch Levi off balance. To both of their surprise, Erwin ended up with Levi pressed against the floor, completely pinned to the ground. Erwin smiled at the string of expletives he was rewarded. It was startling to discover how small Levi was compared to him and Erwin could easily cover most of the man's body with his own. He felt his face flush, and studiously ignored the flare of arousal at the close contact.

When he let the other man up, Levi wouldn’t look him in the eye. He seemed a bit flustered and his face had more colour than usual, “That was a fluke. I let you win. Don’t get too cocky,” but Erwin was grinning wide. “But yeah, I guess you’re actually vaguely decent at fighting now.”

With that, he made his decision. It was time to prepare to leave Ba Sing Se. Erwin was ready to see the World.

* * *

**~~Levi~~**

School was torture. Even if he hadn’t been a spy, Levi would have hated it. He wasn’t good at sitting still for long periods of time, he wasn’t good at concentrating or studying from books. To make things worse, when he first joined, he could hardly read or write. It had never been that important before.

But by far the worst part was pretending to be loyal to the fire nation. He’d been raised to hate them and everything they stood for, and there he was swearing an oath to the fire lord every morning, learning about the fire nation’s ‘glorious’ history and empire: a complete rewrite of his people’s past, their customs, everything they valued and treasured reduced to an insignificant line in a textbook.

Levi was angry all the time. He could barely contain it within himself, but he fought his impulses as hard as he could. He had to make Duke Hideo and the resistance proud, they were depending on him.

If only he was any good at firebending, it might have felt like it was worth it. But he was terrible at it. He was years behind the other kids and could hardly master the basics. He was a fighter, but fighting with bending was completely strange to him. It felt wrong and dangerous to use fire when he was already so comfortable fighting without it.

Levi knew what the real problem was. He couldn’t help it: he was afraid of his own firebending. His people had suffered so much at the hands of firebenders. So many bore burn scars from fire nation raids. Then there was his mother. The slightest radiation of heat triggered her terror. How was he supposed to learn firebending when he hated it so much? How was he supposed to fight when he felt like he was betraying everything he stood for?

On top of it all, Levi was an easy target for the other kids. He was the odd one out, could barely keep up with classes, could hardly firebend, didn’t even know how to hold a teacup or bow to elders. They picked on him. His instinct was to throw punches to shut them up, but he knew Duke Hideo wouldn’t want that.

But one day, some of the older kids took it too far.

“I know why he’s so _short,_ ” said one tormentor to another.

“Oh, yeah, why?”

“Because he’s a _bastard._ ” The bullies all laughed. Levi said nothing, inferring rather than understanding the meaning behind the word.

“No wonder he’s so strange. His mother’s a dirty-skinned local.” More laughter.

Levi felt the anger starting to boil.

“Hey Levi! Did you hear that? Your mother is a low-caste _whore-“_

The kid didn’t get any further. He was knocked right out by a fist in the face. His tormentors blinked at Levi in shock. The bullies shared a look with each other, and four faces turned on Levi with anger and determination.

They thought the fight would be easy. They had Levi backed against a wall, around the corner from the main grounds where the teacher couldn’t see. They thought wrong.

Levi fought with everything that he had. He had trained for this his whole life. His tormentors didn’t stand a chance, especially at close range, not daring to use their firebending in case the teachers saw the flames.

When he was done with them, all four kids fled, nursing bruises, trembling with fear. Levi smiled for the first time in a long time.

He didn’t notice his own split lip from the fight, but when he returned underground later that day, Duke Hideo did. Levi was taken aside. Duke Hideo was silent. Levi’s mood changed immediately when he saw the man’s expression, he’d never seen him so furious.

“Were you _fighting_?” Duke Hideo asked him, voice soft, too soft.

Levi trembled. Like the rest of the fighters, he feared Duke Hideo’s anger.

“Some kids cornered me. I taught them a lesson,” he said.

“Are you _insane?”_ Duke Hideo hissed, “You cannot, under any circumstances, draw attention to yourself.”

“But they were saying awful things-“

“I. Don’t. Care. You don’t listen. You drown it out. You walk away. Do you understand? Your position is far too important.”

Levi shrank back, defeated, scared. Duke Hideo had barely raised his voice, but he didn’t have to.

“What if they go home, tell their parents about the kid who gave them that black eye? They’ll start asking questions. We’ve already had to tell a lot of lies to get you into that school, if they start digging, those lies might not hold.” Duke Hideo grasped him by the shoulders, grip far too tight, forcing him to look him in the eye. His gaze was intense and it took everything Levi had not to shy away from it.

“Do not, under any circumstances, let them get to you,” Duke Hideo continued, “Suppress every emotion, make yourself blank, make yourself numb if you have to. You cannot let them see who you really are. You cannot let them in. You must hide everything. Do you understand?”

Levi had nodded, finding his eyes watering and his chest shaking.

“Good. That is all,” and he’d run away towards the cave by the sea, breath unsteady.


	5. The Colours of Spring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for smut! ;)

****Erwin****

Spring was at its peak. Spindly trees were bursting with flowers in all shades of magenta, sweet pink, deep yellow, and sky blue. The air was permanently damp and the city was pungent with wood smoke to drive out the persistent mold.

Erwin spent most of his time gathering supplies for his trip. He found two other merchants who would join him on the first leg of his journey: first, Omashu, to find the badger-moles; then the Northern Air Temple on his way to the North Pole. He was going to see the world; there was so much to discover out there.

Finally, the date of his departure drew near. He had a final lesson with Levi to make sure he was familiar with his new traveling weapons: a set of hunting daggers easily concealable within his robe; light and compact, perfect for a scholar on the move.

When he saw Levi, he was surprised by the man’s haggard appearance. Levi seemed withdrawn and pale, eyes red and raw with dark bags lining his eyes. When prompted, he only murmured something about being ill and brushed off Erwin’s worry.

Levi’s mind seemed to be elsewhere, but it was clear to both of them that Erwin already had a good grasp on all the key movements. Levi called an end to their class too soon.

“Well,” said Erwin.

“Well.”

“I guess that’s the end of our classes. I can’t thank you enough Levi. I wouldn’t be doing this without you.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Levi looked like might be sick, and his expression was the most guarded Erwin had ever seen.

“You sure you’re alright?”

“Yeah, shut up. Stop worrying. I should go.”

His words did little to stop Erwin from worrying. What was going on with him?

“You’re coming to Mike’s later tonight right?” Erwin said as Levi turned to leave.

“Hm? Oh, yeah. Sure. See you.”

* * *

Mike spent most of the evening on the wrong side of the counter drinking heavily with Erwin, only moving behind the bar to pour them both more drinks. When any other customers tried to approach him he just waved at them to pour their own drinks, with increasingly wild and unsteady gestures.

The bright blue budgie-pigeon, Pig had been placed as the guest of honour beside them on the counter, and Mike would occasionally break off from his conversation with Erwin to clutch needily onto the bird’s cage and croon loving words to the twittering creature within.

“Mike, how far can Pig fly?”

“No idea! Never tested the lil guy.”

“Well, when I go, do you think you could send Pig out once a month to find me? That way, I can get letters back to you.”

“That’s a great idea! And we can test his range!”

It was late when Levi turned up, completing their small farewell party. He looked somewhat better than before, and he was quickly enveloped in a hug by Mike, scowling and kicking throughout.

“Friend!”

“For fuck’s sake Mike,” Mike lifted Levi’s small form up as he crushed him further, “You fucking piece of shit,” Levi scowled as he wriggled free.

Erwin burst into laughter at the pair of them.

Several rounds later and they’d only made a small dent in Levi’s dark mood, managing to get a tiny smile out of him, but little more. Despite Mike’s boundless energy and a litany of stories, Erwin felt niggling worry about Levi and couldn’t quite regain the joy of the earlier part of the evening.

Mike brought Erwin behind the bar to teach him how to make a concoction Mike had named ‘the fighting falcon’ after Levi (‘ _what? Get it! He’s our fighting hero_ and _it’s on-brand for my bar!)._ Erwin looked up when he heard the door creak shut.

Levi’s stool was empty.

“Shit? He just left without saying goodbye?”

“That’s a bit lame of him,” said Mike, drunk and tongue-loose, “although I’ve been dying to ask, did you guys ever fuck?”

“What? No, Mike, jeez. It’s not like that.”

“Isn’t it? There’s definitely interest. _Both_ ways. And _come on,_ Erwin, when was the last time you just let go a little. Nothing wrong with enjoying the pleasures of the _flesh,_ know what I’m saying?”

Erwin rolled his eyes but felt his face heat as he pictured himself and Levi in various compromising positions. It wasn’t the first time he’d imagined it, but it seemed too late now. He’d turned Levi down early on in their friendship, and he was leaving tomorrow.

“All I’m saying is,” Mike slurred, “What I’m saying is – you should. What you should do is – you should definitely _get it on._ Tonight’s your night, big guy. Come _on,_ you’re literally going off into the big bad world tomorrow. Of all the nights to, y’know-“ Mike mimed thrusting, “tonight’s the night.”

“Spirits above, Mike. You didn’t have to mime it.”

“Go after him!”

“What, now?”

Mike ignored Erwin’s spluttered protests and physically pushed him towards the door.

“Go onnnnn, go get some, my friend. I’ll say goodbye to you now. I’m sure your evening’s only going to get more _sensual_ from here-“

“Ok, Mike you can shut up now.”

Mike enveloped Erwin in one of his crushing hugs, on the verge of tears as he wished Erwin all the best and a safe journey. With that, Erwin clapped his friend on the shoulder and walked out into the night after Levi.

* * *

Levi hadn’t made it far when Erwin caught up with him. The night was mild, and Erwin felt fuzzy and warm from drink and companionship. He was loud as he approached, knowing better than to startle such a well-trained fighter. Levi stopped and turned to observe his pursuer.

Levi sighed, “What? You following me now?”

“You left without saying goodbye!”

“Yeah, that was the idea. I don’t like goodbyes.”

“Well, tough, because I do.”

The sky was overcast, and the low clouds were glowing with the reflected orange fuzz of the city’s lanterns. Erwin was suddenly overwhelmed to reach out and touch Levi. The metre between them seemed like a great distance.

Levi shifted and Erwin was suddenly able to glimpse his expression in the gentle light. It was the rawest, most real glimpse of the man he’d seen so far, and his expression was anguished.

“Are you ok Levi? Did something happen?”

Panic flickered across Levi’s face, and then Erwin watched as Levi wrestled with himself as if trying to regain his usual indifference,“It’s nothing.”

Erwin stepped closer, “Hey, it’s ok,” he murmured gently, wanting nothing more than to wrap Levi in an embrace.

But Levi startled him by grabbing him by the front of his robes, expression morphing into anger, “Why can’t you just leave me alone? Why can’t you just fuck off, like everyone else does?”

Erwin stayed very still, kept his voice steady, and tried not to reveal his surprise, “Is that really what you want?”

A long, tense moment passed. Levi’s fists maintained their tight grip on the front of his jacket, but his expression became conflicted, “I…I don’t know, I-“

“Then, what _do_ you want, Levi?”

Gently, Erwin wrapped his hands around Levi’s, pressing them more firmly into his own chest. He wasn’t about to make the same mistake again. He wasn’t going to leave Ba Sing Se without telling Levi that he wanted him. Erwin was tired of being scared.

Slowly, careful not to startle him and giving him plenty of time to pull away, he leaned down, closing the distance between them. Levi was completely frozen, eyes wide, as Erwin pressed their lips together.

Levi’s lips were warm, just like the rest of him. It was barely the whisper of a kiss, and Erwin pulled away immediately, “This?” Erwin asked, “Do you want this? Because I do. I just wish it hadn’t taken me so long.”

Levi frowned, “But you turned me down. I thought you didn’t want this.”

Erwin smiled, “I didn’t want a quick fuck with someone I’d just met. I know you now. It’s different.”

Levi’s eyes widened again, “why do you have to be such a piece of shit?” And then it was Levi’s turn to reach up and close the distance between them.

This time they leaned into each other. Erwin deepened the kiss and wrapped one of his arms around Levi’s back. He breathed Levi in, wanting to inhale him, _taste_ him, learn every response, every inch of his body. By the time Erwin was backing Levi against the nearest wall, they were moving against each other, clawing against each other, hands grasping and roaming.

Levi gasped as Erwin easily picked him up and pressed him against the ragged surface. Levi’s legs automatically came up to wrap around Erwin’s back, and the deep flush on his face was a beautiful reward. The new angle meant that Erwin could reach Levi’s neck, and he wasted no time pressing open-mouthed kisses against the bare skin revealed by the man’s deep neckline.

Levi swore colourfully as Erwin sucked a bruise into the delicate muscle where Levi’s neck met his shoulder. In response, he ground their hips together and a shiver of arousal flared in Erwin’s chest when he felt Levi’s fully hard cock press against his own erection.

“Hey!” They froze as an angry, female voice shouted at them from above, “No fucking in front of my house, alright?” Levi smirked, hair gloriously tousled and lips wet as he leaned his head back against the wall to look up. Erwin couldn’t help his smile either.

Both flushed, they disentangled. Erwin ran a hand over his hair, unable to stop smiling as he and Levi moved down the alleyway, shouting an apology over their shoulder.

“So,” Levi said, sneaking a heated glance at Erwin, “Do you, uh, leave very early tomorrow?”

“Not too early.”

“Ah, cool. Cool. Well, do you maybe, want to come back to the tea shop with me. The back room’s not much but-“

“Yes. I mean, yes. I would like that. Very much.”

They grinned foolishly at each other.

The walk back to the tea shop was short, but the whole way the air between them felt electric and Erwin couldn’t help sneaking in small touches to the small of Levi’s back or the nape of his neck. The little smiles Levi would shoot him, curling into the touches like a cat, made his chest feel tight.

As soon as they were inside the tea shop and the front door had closed behind them, Erwin had Levi pressed up against the back of it. They wasted no time getting straight back to where they’d left off. Levi was suddenly much more vocal, and Erwin’s was hot and jittery every time Levi demanded _harder_ kisses, more teeth, fewer clothes. It wasn’t long before Levi dragged Erwin bodily into the back room.

The room was small, but tidy, with a narrow, raised futon nestled between unidentified crates. Levi dragged him down onto the bed and they shrugged quickly out of the last of their clothes. Erwin pinned Levi’s arms above his head and pressed a line of kisses down his arms, his neck, his chest, all whilst grinding their hips together. They both groaned as Erwin thrust hard, dragging the sensitive skin of their cocks against each other.

Erwin held both of Levi’s arms up with one hand, and he spat on the other before wrapping both of their cocks in his hand and jerking them both off together. Levi swore colourfully, “ _more,_ you bastard, _more, fuck_.”

Erwin wished that there was more light in the room so he could watch Levi fall to pieces beneath his hands. He imagined that there would be a deep flush across the man’s chest. He wondered how far he could push him, how he could take the man apart, layer by layer.

He moved down, sucking bruises and digging his hands into Levi’s flesh as he went until he reached Levi’s cock. Even as he moved his hands to press Levi’s chest firmly into the futon, Levi kept his arms above his head as if they were still restrained. Something about Levi’s submissive position fuelled Erwin’s arousal further. Levi, such a powerful fighter, was here before him, his to take apart. Levi jerked as Erwin began to run his tongue over his cock.

The responding groan and string of expletives was a beautiful reward. It didn’t take him long to figure out what Levi liked, head bobbing up and down over the man’s cock until he felt the man straining and squirming. Hearing Levi lose it was too much, and he wrapped his free hand around himself as he continued sucking Levi’s cock into his mouth. Soon, Levi was coming and that was all it took to drive Erwin over the edge as well.

* * *

After, they lay pressed close together on the tiny futon, both having to lie on their sides to fit. Erwin was warm and comfortably dozy as his brushed his fingers lightly over Levi’s skin. He traced wandering, circles over Levi’s back, feeling rather than seeing the goosebumps raised along the way.

His light touch paused over the puckered, shining skin covering Levi’s right shoulder blade.

“Can I ask how you got this?”

Levi turned to lie on his back as if to hide the scar from him. The position was just possible if Erwin draped his arm across Levi’s stomach.

“I’m sorry,” Erwin said, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I know how it is.”

“No, it’s ok. I just wish-“ Levi sighed, “I wish I could tell you everything.”

“Maybe you could. One day.”

“Yeah. One day.”

They lay for a while without speaking, and Erwin was content to feel the heat of skin against skin and the delicious sweetness of lying with another. Levi’s stomach rose and fell beneath Erwin’s arm, and before long their breathing fell into the same rhythm.

In the dark, the past seemed distant and innocent. It was easy to believe they could whisper anything to each other in that warm, quiet space carved just for them. Maybe that’s why Levi started to speak.

“The fire nation invaded Ningbo just before I was born. I grew up underground, in the resistance, amongst the people who chose to stay so that they could reclaim our home one day. We should have fled like the others, but our leader was stubborn. I worshipped the man. Fuck, of course I did, I was a kid.

“It feels like I’ve been fighting all my life. Fighting other people’s wars. When I came to Ba Sing Se it was like a taste of freedom,” Levi sighed, and Erwin could only imagine what he was remembering. So quietly, Erwin almost missed it, Levi continued, “But I’ll never be truly free. Not really.”

Erwin knew a thing or two about how the past could hold someone captive. Erwin brought his hand up to rest against Levi’s chest, and Levi brought a hand up to tangle them together. He could feel Levi’s heart beating beneath their clasped hands.

“I guess it’s no surprise that you’re an amazing fighter, growing up like that. That’s no place for a child. You shouldn’t have had to go through that.”

He felt Levi shrug, but his grip on Erwin’s hand tightened ever so slightly.

“And you?” Levi asked, “For all the times we’ve trained, you never really explained what happened to you. You said it was an accident, but that was all.”

He hadn’t spoken about what happened to anyone, except briefly to Mike, when he’d been released from rehabilitation and had to explain that he would be around more often. But the gentle warmth loosened his tongue, and somehow the hard things seemed much easier to say.

“For as far back as I can remember, I wanted to be a fighter. I wanted to join the Royal Guard, I wanted to rise through the ranks, I wanted to lead. I grew up here, in the Lower Ring. There aren’t many ways to leave it, except to prove yourself as a soldier. I took some time out to study at the University, like most who want to become General one day, but other than that, my whole life was the Guard.

And then it was all gone. Just like that.

It was just a regular day at the training grounds. My team was running through the usual drills, we were training up some new recruits. But one of them got hurt and I ordered her to go to the medical station to get herself checked out. She was going the wrong way, so I followed her to help redirect her.

I rounded a corner, and then I just fell. There was a deep crevice right there in the floor. It happens sometimes. Earthbending practise shifts the earth and moving earth in one place can create pockets and imperfections elsewhere.

It’s a miracle I survived. I broke so many bones – they almost had to amputate my right arm. I wish I could say I felt lucky, but I didn’t. I lost the only thing that mattered, my earthbending.”

The words seemed abstract like they were someone else’s memories. The warmth of their embrace dulled the pain Erwin usually felt when he cast his mind backward, to his past. For the first time in a long time, he forgot himself and spoke freely.

“The worst part is that wasn’t the end of it. Like the punchline to a bad joke, I received a message about a week later whilst I was still in the medical station at the training grounds. A dear friend of mine, a man called Nile, someone who I’d been very close to, he’d passed away.

It must have been only a few days before my accident when it happened, but I guess the message got held up. He had been sick with influenza and suddenly taken a bad turn. And that was it.”

Levi shifted, turning to face Erwin so that he was tucked under his chin, and they wrapped their arms around each other, legs tangled.

“Y’know,” Levi murmured into Erwin’s clavicle, “the Universe can really go fuck itself sometimes.”

Erwin chuckled, and he felt the motion jostle against the man within his embrace.

“Yeah. It really can. But this is nice though.”

“Yeah. I guess it’s alright.”

And tucked against each other like that, like two lost souls clinging on to each other in the darkness, they eventually fell asleep.

* * *

**~~ Levi ~~**

Levi’s tormentors left him alone after the fight. A lot of the bullying stopped when the other kids realised what Levi was capable of.

In the evenings, he was starting to spend a lot of time alone in the cave by the sea.

Normally, he’d go and find Hanji, but she was nowhere to be found. She’d been missing quite a lot lately. She even skipped dinner most of the time.

One night, the fighters on cooking duty were squabbling over the last of the spark rocks. One of them needed them to cook, but the other was complaining of the cold and wanted the other to cook over the communal fire in the centre of the room.

Levi sat, exhausted, head spinning, listening to the argument. Annoyed, he walked over, clicked his fingers, and drew on his firebending to light it. Then he moved over to the centre of the room and lit that fire as well. He sat beside it, staring into the flames. It was only then that he noticed that everyone in the room was staring at him.

“Thanks, Levi,” said the cook. Slowly, the others in the room drew closer to the central fire. It had been a while since they’d had enough spark rocks for it, and it had been getting cold.

As he sat, surrounded by his people over their meal, something changed in their expressions. They looked at him with gratitude instead of fear.

Maybe firebending wasn’t all bad.

After he started using firebending to help his people stay warm, he started to embrace it as a part of himself. Firebending classes became easier, and just like that, he started to improve rapidly.

He experimented with his new skill. His favourite discovery was heat. Levi could extend a gentle, invisible heat outward and fill a room with warmth. It was nothing to do with fighting and everything to do with keeping others warm. There was nothing he loved more than seeing his people happy.

Within a few months, he was in the same class as the rest of his age group. At home, he started training again with the other fighters.

Slowly, Levi settled into himself. He was a firebender, and maybe Duke Hideo was right, maybe it was a gift after all.

* * *

**** Erwin ****

The monorail carriage clunked heavily every time it passed over a bump in the huge, earthen track. Erwin soon became accustomed to the low scraping grumbling of rock against stone as it was pushed at speed, hurtling its passengers towards the Boundary Wall.

Outside the window, a rainbow patchwork of fields stretched out in all directions and for many hours of the clattery journey, the walls that caged in Ba Sing Se were hardly visible. In the fields, great buffalo-oxen tilled the soil, dragging huge mouldboards that left an ugly scar of overturned earth in their wake.

The agrarian zone smelled like animal shit and sweet, freshly cut grass. The air was refreshingly clear compared to the main city.

Erwin watched the world spill by with a mounting sense of excitement. He was really doing it; he was leaving Ba Sing Se. When the Boundary Wall was finally visible and starting to loom largely over them, he felt jittery, a heat skittering under the surface of his skin.

An image of Levi flashed through his mind. The ghostly touch of skin pressed against skin from the night before. He was human after all, flesh and blood. His soul was soaring with the delicious remnants of what they had shared.

Maybe he could see Levi again when he returned, though he didn’t know how long he’d be gone. A part of him felt anxious about that, but he didn’t take Levi for a naïve man. Erwin was happy to leave a pleasant memory as exactly that, he didn’t want or need anything more.

The monorail carriage slowed as it approached the wall and Erwin braced himself for the panic when they entered the gaping, dark tunnel. He found, to his surprise, that the press of earth was manageable, and he was able to keep his breathing regulated. Perhaps he was starting to recover, in more ways than one.

His two traveling companions gathered their sacks and met him on the platform. They were merchant brothers going to Omashu, but they couldn’t look more different. One was insect-like with long, thin features and a figure to match whilst the other more closely resembled a platypus-bear, huge in every way. Erwin had heard the pair were good at defending themselves, and that’s why he’d chosen them as companions. He preferred the extra security.

The terminal was busy and crowded. The small space carved into the wall hadn’t been designed for the number of people needing to pass through it, especially since refugees had started streaming in over the last few decades. As they fought their way through the bustling, claustrophobic crowds, Erwin felt something of the panic return but he fought it down.

He squeezed his eyes shut tight for a moment, hoping for the discomfort to pass, repeating a haiku to himself, but when he opened them he found his companions had disappeared, lost in a sea of sweaty bodies and pressing limbs.

Erwin looked around, disoriented, and concerned. He followed the movement of the crowd as it pushed him further through the terminal and there, suddenly, daylight spilled out over him. He was so close to freedom, the final gate was just up ahead. But then an arm roughly grabbed him and pulled him back the way he had come; it was the larger of his traveling companions.

“Hey, where’s your brother? Shouldn’t we be heading that way, to stamp our papers?”

“He’s back here, he just needed something.”

Erwin narrowed his eyes and shook himself out of the man’s firm grasp. He preferred to walk than be manhandled.

He was led down a darkened corridor away from the hustle and bustle. Pinpricks of light bled in through holes carved in the wall, but otherwise, they seemed to be heading for a deserted part of the terminal. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Something wasn’t right.

“Is he far? What did he need anyway?”

“Just follow me,” the man stated.

Erwin paused. His instincts were suddenly screaming at him to turn back instead of following this man further into the dark.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind, a hand was closing around his mouth. A hand made of stone. He struggled and kicked, but more stone hands appeared, pinning him in place.

Slowly, Erwin was dragged away into the dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of Part 1! Everything's going to get pretty wild from here; a lot of big reveals coming up in the next few chapters ...


	6. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> PART TWO - CHANGE

**** Erwin ****

Opening his eyes felt heavy and difficult. From the ringing in his ears, Erwin would guess that he was knocked out. When he could finally get a look at his surroundings, he found himself in a small cell made of dirt and he didn’t need his hairs standing on end to know that he must be deep underground.

Blearily, he registered a door appearing in the wall, but he couldn’t get a good look at the figures who entered before he could feel exhaustion starting to overtake him again. He only caught a glimpse of black robes and conical hats.

When he next woke, he was somewhere else entirely and the floor beneath him was bumping up and down. He felt bruised and nauseous, and the smell of dried hay and ostrich-horse shit overpowered the jostling space.

He realised with a start that he was not alone.

“You’re lucky I was passing through, Erwin,” came a familiar voice.

Erwin struggled to sit up and saw that his restraints were gone, “…General Pixis?”

“Yes. I’m sorry that we had to meet in such circumstances, but there are eyes everywhere.”

Erwin groaned as he sat up too fast and the world span. What in Shu's name was going on?

“Less than pleasant,” Erwin said, trying to calm his racing heart. He needed answers, “Why did you stop me leaving Ba Sing Se?”

“Come on, Erwin, I know you’re smarter than that. I didn’t stop you. That was the Dai Li. I just happened to be nearby and convinced them I could take you off their hands.”

Erwin digested this. He knew General Pixis. He couldn’t think of a reason Pixis would care about him leaving the city, and if he did, kidnapping by stealth in the dark wasn’t his style. No, that was definitely the Dai Li’s style. A memory of conical hats surfaced from his fuzzy mind.

“Ok, let’s say it was the Dai Li who kidnapped me. Why would I interest the Dai Li?”

“Now that, Erwin, is the right question. I’m afraid I’m not entirely sure.”

“But you know something.”

“Yes. I became aware that the Dai Li have been following you since your accident. Maybe even before it.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me?”

“You didn’t need to know.”

Erwin’s old frustrations with Pixis rapidly returned. He didn’t like being kept ignorant, and Pixis knew it.

“Well? Anything else you’d like to share?” Erwin demanded, voice a little too sharp.

“Hm? Right, yes. Well I’ve also been keeping an eye on you, lucky thing too. The Dai Li agents at the border were just rookies, didn’t know that the Guard and the Dai Li are like oil and water so they believed me when I told them I would take you to headquarters. Aside from the fact they’ve been following you for a while, I don’t know much. Whatever it is, they clearly don’t want you leaving.”

Erwin’s mind was spinning and it wasn’t just from nausea. He needed space to process and digest all of this. Why had the Dai Li been following him? He couldn’t think of a single reason.

“We’re almost there,” Pixis said with a smile as if they were taking a pleasant afternoon trip.

“Where?”

“A small farming village where we’ll drop you. Now, there isn’t much time so listen to me, Erwin. I don’t like the Dai Li, I never have, but they’re gaining power in this city. Too much power. If you’re in their bad books for some reason, be cautious. I’m not sure how far they will go to stop you leaving. And there’s more. I have reason to believe that there are fire nation spies in the city. I don’t know how many, and I can only guess their intentions, but one of them was captured recently. He killed himself before he could tell us more. It appears the fire nation has managed to get regular earth nation refugees to play double spy for them.”

Erwin could hardly process it all, “What Earth Nation citizen would ever yield to the fire nation like that?”

“War makes men desperate, Erwin. Don’t forget that. Everyone has a weakness.”

Pixis’ eyes became unfocused as if lost in a memory, before he continued, “All in all, there was only so much digging I could do. The guard can’t afford to be in the Dai Li’s bad books either, these days. However, if someone _else_ was to start investigating, well, that would be nothing to do with me, now would it?”

Pixis raised his eyebrows at Erwin, “Now, here’s your weapons and traveling pack. I managed to rescue them as well. And good luck.”

Before Erwin could ask many more questions, the back of the tarp was pulled up and General Pixis was unceremoniously chucking him out of the back of the wagon.

* * *

**~~ Levi ~~**

Levi was exhausted all the time, but he pushed through it. At fire nation school, the firebending students were being drilled over and over in preparation for some kind of test. This was on top of the growing complexity and difficulty of classes.

By the time Levi made it home, and it always took him a while so he could be sure he wasn’t followed, he just wanted to collapse. But Duke Hideo wasn’t having it. Levi now knew a vast array of firebending techniques, and Duke Hideo wanted all of the resistance to learn how to defend against them. This was how Levi’s evenings became full of further training, relaying every new trick and move he’d learned so that the other fighters could figure out how they might block them.

One evening, Levi found the training cave quiet. He almost sighed in relief, he could use a break, but Duke Hideo materialised and beckoned him to follow.

“We’ve been working on a secret weapon, Levi. Follow me and we’ll show you.”

A small room had been carved into the side of the training cave using earthbending. Levi followed Duke Hideo in and found two of the fighters collapsed uncomfortably on the floor. Levi fought the urge to go to them and to check if they were alright; instead, he turned to Duke Hideo expectantly.

“I’m sure you remember the lessons your mother has been teaching you about chi and the corresponding pressure points in the body. Well, we’ve figured out how to take that knowledge a step further,” He gestured for another fighter to come forward.

“Just as chi can be unblocked using the pressure points,” Duke Hideo gestured to the points on the fighter’s back, “it can also be used to block,” and Duke Hideo rapidly struck those points on the fighter.

“Now, try and earthbend,” he said to the fighter.

The man lifted his arms, settling into a fighting stance but as he pushed his arm forward, nothing happened. Frowning, he tried again with a different move. Still nothing. Levi’s eyes widened.

“He can’t earthbend anymore?” Levi asked, incredulous.

“Only temporarily. It seems to affect people differently as well. Some can hardly move, like these two,” Duke Hideo gestured to the two fighters on the floor, “whilst others hardly feel a thing. Either way, they can't earthbend.”

Levi was astounded. This was amazing! This could change everything!

“So now, Levi, I have a task of great importance to ask of you. We need to know if this technique can be used to disable firebenders as well. There’s no guarantee that firebenders have pressure points in the same place, we’d need to study someone to find out. Do you understand where I’m going with this?”

Levi nodded. He understood.

“Yes. I’ll do it. Whatever it takes.”

“That’s my star fighter. Thank you, Levi.”

* * *

**** Erwin ****

Erwin found a disused barn tucked within a forest not far from the farming village. There, he lay his bruised body down in the hay and let his mind race with all that he’d learned.

Pixis had said that the Dai Li had been watching him since the accident, maybe even before it. Why? What was special about him? He’d fallen into a crevice and almost died, why should they watch him after that?

Unless…He could hardly believe he was thinking it, but what if it wasn’t an accident? What if someone had tried to kill him intentionally? That would be a reason for the Dai Li to monitor him if they somehow found out. If it hadn’t been an accident, who had tried to kill him? And most importantly, _why?_

Sure, Erwin knew a thing or two about the Guard, but no more than any other Terra Team captain. Certainly not as much as Pixis. If someone had wanted to deal some kind of blow to the Guard, Erwin wouldn’t be the logical target. Could the Dai Li have been behind it? And what about the fire nation spies? Why would either of them want Erwin dead?

He needed more answers, but Pixis was right, he also needed to be cautious.

Erwin waited for night to fall and then snuck out into the village. A heavy spring shower was well underway, and he pulled his traveler’s cloak up over his head to try and keep the moisture out. The small settlement had a few small huts clustered around a small well. He trod carefully around the matted, muddy puddles which squelched under his boots.

He broke into a small tool shed and fumbled in the dark, trying to feel by touch and holding things up to the dim light to get a better look. It took him some time, but he eventually found what he was looking for: a small tin of boot polish and a set of rusted scissors.

Back at the disused barn, he lit a small lantern with the spark rocks from his travel pack and set out the boot polish and scissors on a small piece of cloth. Slowly, he shrugged out of his traveling cloak and unwound the ribbon keeping his hair in its ponytail. His fair hair fell around his shoulders and he ran a hand through the knots and tangles.

Erwin wasn’t one for sentimentality. He was a strategist. Sometimes, what had to be done, had to be done.

In two short snips, most of his hair fell away, disappearing into the hay-covered floor. He cut it as straight across the back as he could manage, so that it fell just lower than his ears. Next was the boot polish. It was a challenge without some kind of mirror, but he did the best he could, rubbing it into the roots and trying to spread it evenly.

When it was done, he sat back against the wall of the farm, suddenly exhausted. Now he just looked like a regular traveler.

Tomorrow, he would set off towards the Guard’s practise grounds, the site of his accident. It was time to find out what was really going on.

* * *

**~~Levi ~~**

The Ningboyan Bay is one of the first places a large ship can moor on the east coast of the earth nation. For millennia, the Ningboyan people relied on the sea for almost everything: for their livelihoods, for trade, and for food. Before the fire nation invaded, ships would often stop there en route to many other places.

To the west, the bay was isolated from the mainland by dense forests. The Ningboyan people knew the routes through it, but there were no roads and no cart would survive the rough journey. Any goods had to reach them by sea.

There was one area they always avoided. It was known as the dark forest and rumoured to be haunted by evil spirits. The ground there was strange and full of holes which made the ground unstable. It was a nightmare for earthbenders, and the Ningboyan people were careful never to tunnel there.

When the fire nation invaded, they built a fortified outpost to defend the bay. They used it as a stopping point for their own war fleet, and ships would often appear in the bay and moor there for a few days. If the resistance wanted to take back their home, they would have to destroy or capture the outpost as well as any ships moored in the bay.

Finally, after over a decade in hiding underground, the time seemed to arrive.

The test for which Levi and his peers had been training was coming up. All firebending children take a test at the age of twelve to determine the potential to become soldiers. Levi’s test would take place _inside_ the fire nation outpost. Duke Hideo’s eyes lit up when Levi told him.

At the same time, there were rumours of strange sounds in the dark forest. Scouts reported that the fire nation had cleared part of the forest to construct a low-lying building. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. If they wanted to take back their home, they had to do so now, before the fire nation grew more powerful.

It was time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so begins part two! This part has some really exciting reveals I've been building up to, I wonder if y'all have any guesses for what's to come? Happy New Year <3


	7. Old Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! This is a hefty chapter and I must have re-written it a dozen times trying to get it right. Things are starting to really get exciting...

**** Erwin ****

The Royal Guard’s Eastern base was just as Erwin remembered. He reached the battered stretch of abused rock and open space late in the afternoon and spent the rest of the day hidden behind boulders on a ridge above, watching the soldiers train.

So many memories came to him unbidden, set loose by the familiar scent of dust and the thuds and clangs of earth hitting armour. He wondered if his Terra Team soldiers were still based here, but try as he might, he was too far to recognise any faces.

He watched the figures below with an ache in his heart, but he steeled himself against his own self-pity. He had far more pressing things to focus on.

The hours passed quickly, and finally, the soldiers set to work clearing up the damage their training had created. The earth here was malleable yet firm when compacted; excellent for earthbending, but no stretch of earth could withstand repeated abuse without damage. Cracks and holes were always opening up in and around the training area, an unfortunate side effect. That’s why hardly anyone had investigated Erwin’s accident.

Finally, the grounds emptied. As Erwin picked his way down between boulders, he nearly slipped on loose pebbles and grit. Soon, he was standing on familiar ground.

He gazed at the floor, the wind blowing harsh granules against his cloak and boots. Before him was the exact place he had fallen. The crevice was long gone, but as he crouched to press a palm against the rough ground, the fear and pain of falling seemed as vivid as if it had happened yesterday.

He sighed, surveying the area. What exactly had he hoped to find here? There was nothing to see. He tried to remember as much as he could.

The new recruit had headed in the opposite direction from the base, what had her name been? Erwin racked his brain

Annie. That was it. Her name had been Annie.

She had disappeared around this outcrop of rock; Erwin had rounded the corner and then fallen immediately. Erwin frowned and looked up towards the ridge where he had hidden for the last few hours. What if Annie had led him here deliberately? The boulders up on the ridge were easy to hide behind.

If she had been really quick, she could have had time to earthbend her way up there, hide from sight, and open the crevice just in time for Erwin to fall.

It was a possibility, but Erwin still had no proof and absolutely no reason _why_ Annie would do such a thing, who she could have been working for, and why anyone might want him dead.

As night spilled lazily over the training grounds, Erwin lifted his hood over his head and made his way towards the base. He needed to seek out an old friend.

* * *

**~~ Levi ~~**

Levi found the note beneath his pillow a few nights before the day of the attack.

_Meet me at midnight in the cave by the sea_

It wasn’t signed, but it could only be from Hanji. Levi had hardly seen her over the last few weeks. Now that they were preparing for the attack, she seemed to have truly disappeared. This was his chance to demand to know what was going on, and why she wasn’t training with them as she should have been.

No one stirred as Levi picked his way across sleeping bodies and left the sleeping-cave. The tunnels were pitch black and smelled damp and earthy, but he was used to it. He found his way with a hand along the walls, easily picking out the rough markers the resistance used to find their way around.

He waited until he reached the cave by the sea to create a small lantern of fire in his right hand. Tucked behind a jutting section of rock he caught sight of a familiar figure.

“Where the fuck have you been?” Levi demanded.

“Hey ‘Vi,” said Hanji, smiling weakly, “Good to see you too.”

The lapping of waves against the uneven rocks reverberated gently around the walls. As he moved closer to Hanji, he saw the pointed jut of a canoe sticking out from beneath them. The wooden hull knocked against the rock with each rhythmic lull of water.

“What’s going on, Hanji?”

“ ‘Vi, listen to me. This plan of Duke Hideo’s, it’s not going to work.”

Levi frowned in confusion, “What are you saying?”

Hanji continued, “I should have seen it all along, but I was blind, just like the rest of us. The Fire Nation is too strong, ‘Vi. Even if we do take the outpost, more of them will come. There’s only a dozen of us left now, hardly a fighting force.”

“You’re wrong!” Levi said, “We’re the bravest fighters the World has ever seen!”

“ ‘Vi, in any battle, people get hurt. In war, innocent people will always get caught in the crossfire. I won’t watch our village burn down in flames because of us. This isn’t the right time.”

When Levi couldn’t respond, she continued: “Come with us, please ‘Vi. Me and my … friend. You’ll like her, I know it. You deserve a real childhood. You deserve a life of your own, not a life being used like a puppet for someone else’s cause.”

“What are you talking about? I’m not a puppet. I was born to be a fighter. I have to be a fighter. I’m doing what’s right. How could you even suggest leaving? What is wrong with you?”

The tears started rolling down Hanji’s face, “Please, ‘Vi, don’t join this fight. Come with us now while you can. We can take your mother to safety. You can actually live your life.”

Levi felt hot and shaky. It hurt to breathe.

“No! There’s no way I’m leaving. I won’t be a _traitor_ like you. You’re so keen to leave? To run away like a coward? Go on then! Do it! I don’t care. I never cared about you anyway! We never even needed you!” Levi screamed, not caring how loud he was being or who might wake up and hear. This whole thing was Hanji’s fault anyway.

He had hoped his words would hurt. He had hoped Hanji would scream at him in return; _anything_. But she just looked at him with wide eyes filled with tears and stood.

“Ok. You’ve made yourself clear. Take Care, Levi. I wish you all the best. I hope you know how much I care for you. I wish it didn’t have to be this way.”

That was too much for him, he turned and ran back into the caves. He ran and ran until he couldn’t breathe, all the way to the darkest depths of their underground caves.

* * *

**** Erwin ****

Erwin waited until after the sounds from the dining hall had dwindled to nothing. He kept himself tucked away inside the forest next to the Guard’s Eastern base and made himself comfortable against the trunk of a tree. From where he was sitting, he had a clear line of sight to the dormitories. He watched as shadows moved across the windows.

He cupped his hands together, keeping his thumbs side by side, and lifted them to his mouth. He blew gently, trilling as he did; sounding almost, but not quite, like a pigeon-crow.

Several times over the course of the next half hour, he repeated the gesture, hoping he would be heard. He let out a breath of relief when he finally spotted a figure leave the dormitories and start heading for the forest.

They were silent and cautious as they approached, peering all around into the darkened trees. Carefully, so as not to startle them, Erwin stood.

The figure crouched automatically into a fighting stance, “Who’s there?” hissed a familiar woman’s voice.

“An old friend,” Erwin replied. The figure stilled.

“ _Erwin???”_

“Long time no see, Nanaba.”

“Spirits above! Erwin, it has been ages! We haven’t seen you since the accident.”

Nanaba came closer. In the light from the dormitories, he could see that she looked exactly as he remembered and she still wore her honey-coloured hair in a short bob. Her eyes widened as she took in his appearance in return, “What’s going on Erwin? What’s with the disguise? And using our old call to lure me into the woods at night?”

Erwin smiled, “Great questions. I wish I had more answers. All I can say for sure is that the Dai Li are after me.”

“The Dai Li? Yangchen’s beard, Erwin. Why?”

“I’m not sure. But I have reason to believe they might have been behind my accident, and that the accident was intended to kill me.”

Nanaba nodded slowly, eyes wide, “Huh, well. That’s…ok. Guess that explains the disguise, then.” Her expression turned serious as she held his gaze, “Tell me what you need.”

He smiled, appreciating her loyalty even after all this time.

“Do you remember that recruit? Annie? Fair-haired, pale eyes. She was only with us a week or so before my accident.”

“I remember her, yes.”

“Do you know where she’s stationed now?”

“Now? Not here. She was transferred elsewhere shortly after you left. I think the Northern base, but I can’t be sure. I can find out for you if you’d like.”

“Thank you, Nanaba. I would appreciate it. But be careful. If my hunch is right, you could get in trouble asking questions about her.”

“Well, your hunches are usually right, Erwin. So, what are you thinking, that she was the one who caused your accident?”

“Something like that. We’ll see. I have one more thing to ask – do you know where she trained before she came here?”

Nanaba frowned, “It wasn’t the Lower Ring Academy like us, that’s for sure. She didn’t strike me as a Middle Ringer, either. I’m not sure. I’ll do some digging though. Can you stick around for a few days whilst I find out?”

“Sure.”

“Great.” She paused and leaned back against a tree, arms folded, “It hasn’t been the same since you left, Erwin. How come you never came to visit like we asked?”

He didn’t reply immediately, unsure how.

“To be honest, Nanaba, I couldn’t bring myself to. I thought it would remind me of all the things that I’d lost.”

Some of the dejection and spiraling self-hatred of the last few years must have shown in his voice because Nanaba startled him by reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Erwin, I’ve known you long enough to speak honestly. Your earthbending, your fighting ability – that was never the reason we respect and admire you so much. It was your _mind_ and your compassion that made you a great leader. It’ll make you a great leader still, if you still want to be. The Guard doesn’t give a shit about you anymore, but maybe you were never meant to be _just_ a soldier. In a way, you’re free now. Freer than we are.”

He digested her words slowly and felt a tightness loosen in his chest.

“Thank you. I think I really needed to hear that.”

“Don’t mention it,” she saluted him, “Captain.”

He smiled as Nanaba turned and made her way back to the dormitories.

* * *

The clattering of wagon wheels on the rough road to the city was interrupted by the odd, unpleasant jolt as they passed over the uneven surface. Beside him, the farmer holding the reigns of the buffalo-ox was the silent type and smelled heavily of sweat and soil, but Erwin supposed he didn’t smell much better.

It was a few days since he’d first met Nanaba and she’d managed to meet him with more answers the previous night. Annie, it seemed, was a mystery. There was no trace of where she had come from, or where she had gone. The knowledge struck something deep within him; here was his proof. It must be true; Annie had been working for someone, and she had tried to kill him.

Pixis’ words were ringing in his ears: _there are Fire Nation spies within the city._ Could Annie have been a Fire Nation spy? It would explain her disappearance, but not her motive. Erwin could think of only one other way to find out more, the Dai Li. Whatever had happened, they knew something. Enough to stop him from leaving the city.

His mind hardly ceased moving as the wagon slowly approached the huge Outer City Wall. It was a jarring sight; he hadn’t expected to see it again so soon.

No one paid Erwin any mind. Dressed as he was and in the company of a farmer, he looked just like any other labourer, helping move goods into the city. As they passed through the gate, the clamouring shouts and smells and the press of buildings and people was like a slap in the face after the peace and quiet of the agricultural zone.

Once they were a decent way into the Lower Ring, Erwin discretely handed the farmer several copper pieces and jumped down. The wagon clattered away.

Here he was again; home sweet home, complete with the usual aroma of urine and drying laundry. The ride had taken longer than he’d expected, and it was almost dark. The streets slowly shifted colour as one by one, paper-lanterns were lit inside the crowded, decaying buildings.

It didn’t take him long to reach the crumbling tea shop. He was thankful for the dry, warm evening; there was a heat in the air signaling the start of the summer, and there was word it was going to be a particularly hot one.

Erwin watched from across the street as the evening rush pattered out; eventually, no more customers left the tea shop. The light spilling under the door dimmed, and he could hear the clattering of pots from within. A deep voice, a man’s voice, rang clearly from within, “I’ll leave you to clean up, Levi. See you tomorrow. May the spirits guide you.”

A large, squat man with clothes lined with stains and chest hair spilling out of his neckline emerged from the door and blew out the paper-lantern hanging outside before walking away. Erwin waited a few more minutes and then went in.

Levi was facing away from him, arms deep in frothy water at the sink, “We’re closed!” he called, turning his head to look at Erwin. He paused and spun around, wiping his hands on his apron.

“Hey! I said _we’re closed._ ” Levi stalked towards him cautiously.

Erwin removed his hood.

“I’m looking for the city’s best fighting falcon.”

Levi froze.

“But, but I thought you – you left,” he stammered, “You were so set on leaving.”

“Change of plans. Can we talk?”

Levi looked like he’d seen a ghost and Erwin watched the man visibly put up a mask, withdrawing into himself. Making sure not to look Erwin in the eye, Levi took a seat at one of the many tables and gestured for Erwin to take one nearby.

“Levi, I’ve come to ask for your help.”

“My help with what?”

“Something risky. And dangerous. It would help to have someone with your fighting ability in this.”

“Does it have something to do with the reason you’re still in Ba Sing Se, looking like an unwashed farmer?”

“Yes. Something like that. I didn’t make it past the Outer Wall. The Dai Li kidnapped me. I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t been rescued. Anyway, turns out, they’ve been tracking me ever since the accident. It had me thinking, what if it wasn’t an accident? But so far all I have are theories, and a somewhat risky plan to find out more.”

Levi kept his gaze glued to the floor as Erwin spoke, “And now? Do the Dai Li know where you are?”

“I don’t think so, no. But I’m going to give myself up to the Dai Li in exchange for answers.”

Levi stared at him, eyes wide, “You’re going to _what!?”_

“They know what’s going on. They must know.”

“How do you know it wasn’t them who caused the accident? How do you know the Dai Li weren’t the ones who _tried to kill you_!??”

“I have reason to believe it wasn’t them. I think it might have been a Fire Nation spy.”

It was like Levi had been struck. His mask slipped. Erwin frowned, confused by his reaction.

“Don’t do this Erwin. Don’t hand yourself over to the Dai Li. There’s no knowing what they’ll _do_ to you,” Levi’s voice was rough and jagged, the rawest Erwin had ever heard it.

Then Levi was in front of him, crouching on his heels and taking Erwin’s hands into his own. His eyes were shining, and Erwin watched as many conflicting emotions seemed to pass over the man’s face.

“Erwin, they don’t know where you are. You could disappear. Maybe…we could both disappear. Together. Get as far away as we can.”

Erwin turned his hands so his palms were pressed against Levi’s, “And how far would that be? Even if we managed to escape the city, if I don’t know the truth of what happened, I’ll never feel safe. It will _haunt_ me, Levi. I have to find out the truth. I won’t live my life looking over my shoulder, always uncertain, always afraid. I need my life to be mine.”

Levi’s voice was choked as he turned to hide his face once more, “ _Please,_ Erwin. Don’t go. Don’t do this.”

Gently, Erwin pulled his hands out of Levi’s grasp.

“I have to do this. I have to know the truth, with or without your help.”

He stood and pulled the other man to his feet. As he turned Levi’s face towards his own, he saw the shimmer of tears in his eyes. Slowly, he bent down to press their lips together softly.

“Take care, Levi.”

Levi wouldn’t look at him as he turned to go.

* * *

**~~Levi~~**

It was a hot, sticky summer’s day and Levi resisted the urge to itch his neck where the scratchy formal jacket kept brushing against his skin. A dozen students waited with him before the huge metal gates of the Fire Nation outpost. He should have been nervous, but his heartbeat was steady, and he felt a sharp focus on what was to come. The same couldn’t be said for the other students. Levi could smell the fear and nerves rolling off them. This was probably one of the most important days of their life. It certainly was for Levi, but for very different reasons.

After what felt like an age listening to the steady thump of his own heart pounding in his ears, the huge doors clattered and creaked as mechanisms were turned to open them. A soldier emerged on the parapets above them, calling out their names in order and taking them through the usual oath to the Fire Lord. Levi hardly heard the man. He felt numb.

Inside, the outpost was centered around a central, octagonal courtyard. Looking up, three stories of balconies ringed the central space, and corridors extended outwards. The dry heat wasn’t favouring the metallic structure and the tangy smell of hot metal mixed unpleasantly with charred dust and lingering sweat. A huge, deep red banner emblazoned with the Fire Nation crest hung from the top floor all the way down to the ground.

The students came to a halt in the centre, saluting in unison the man who was waiting there. He seemed to tower over them, and his black and red armour broadened his shoulders and accentuated the sharp gaze that peered out from beneath bushy eyebrows. He could only be Commander Zeng, the man in charge of the Fire Nation occupation of Ningbo.

In school, they were taught of his greatness. Of his incredible success defeating the ‘backward Earth Nation peasants’ who had lived here before. Levi knew better. He knew the names of dozens of people whose blood had stained Commander Zeng’s hands. From the sneer on his lips to the tips of his shining, black shoes, Levi hated this man with everything that he had. Eerily, he felt his focus grow ever sharper; a deadly calm settling over him.

“Welcome, students,” said the Commander. His words were carefully articulated and unrushed as if he had all the time in the World. It was the voice of a man confident in his own power.

“Today we will determine which of you has what it takes to join the greatest army in the World. Those of you that succeed today will contribute to the Fire Nation’s great legacy. You will conquer Nations. You will vanquish heathens. You will stamp out chaos and dissent and help lead the great era of peace that we, the Fire Nation, will bring to the whole World.” The commander raised his arms and smiled.

“Those of you that _fail,_ however,” his piercing gaze settled on a small, quivering girl in the front row, “Will not get another chance. So, I expect _all_ of you to put everything you have into your trial. Dismissed!”

To Levi’s dismay, the Commander turned and walked away, leaving his subordinates to run the students through a series of exercises and combat agility tests. Levi hardly paid the activities attention; they were easy for him. Instead, he was drinking in the details of his surroundings, senses constantly alert for the signal he was waiting for.

He caught snippets of passing soldier’s conversations, “I have a message…” and “We’ve received the latest shipment…” and “…bring this to the Commander.” Levi’s eyes snapped up. The Commander, where was he? His eyes followed the messenger climbing up all the way to the top floor and disappearing down the North corridor. _There,_ Levi thought, _that’s where I need to go._

He hardly noticed the soldiers watching him closely as he easily defeated student after student in the hand-to-hand combat trials. The late-night trainings with the resistance had also done wonders for his firebending, and he won all of his firebending bouts.

Suddenly, there came a deep thud.

The other students hardly seemed to notice it. To them, it could have been anything. To Levi, it was the distinctive sound of two rocks being slammed together underground, beneath their feet. It was time.

Whilst sparring with a student, he pretended to trip. As he did, he reached out a hand and threw a blazing ball of fire towards the enormous Fire Nation banner. Within minutes the whole thing was in flames, and the courtyard was awash with activity.

“Hey! You! Kid!” Damn, one of the soldiers had seen him. The students around him were panicking, moving towards the entrance of the outpost. He used the commotion as cover, racing for the stairs that would take him up to the top.

“Where are you going? Get back here!”

Levi ran as quickly as he could up the stairs, startling soldiers who had run in to see what the commotion was about. He was sweating now and the heat from the blazing banner was slowly roasting the air within the tall structure like an oven.

“Stop that boy!” Came the screams from down below. “Stop-“ but the screams were abruptly cut off as the earth opened up in the centre of the courtyard and several guards fell through. A handful of resistance fighters emerged. Meanwhile, the building shook as its foundations were blasted apart underground. It was working! They had opened caverns underneath to destabilise it and were now joining the fight! The stairs lurched sickeningly, but Levi didn’t stop. He didn’t look back. He kept going.

He reached the top floor, head spinning from the smoke and heat rising from the battle below. In front of him, five soldiers lined the balcony, shooting fireballs down on to the resistance fighters. Only the closest noticed Levi approached, but it was too late.

Levi took the fighters out quickly, blocking their firebending by striking their pressure points. Three collapsed immediately, but the remaining two looked at him with fear and confusion. He watched as they tried to fire at him. Nothing happened. Levi smiled, enjoying the look of comprehension on their faces, and in a blur of movement, they were passed out on the floor as well.

He stepped over them and moved towards the corridor where he would find the Commander. Casting a quick look down, he saw that the fighting was in full swing. The resistance fighters were greatly outnumbered, but thanks to Levi’s inside knowledge, they were expertly fending off all the firebending soldiers’ attacks.

Bang! An explosion somewhere outside. Then another. And another. That must be the remaining fighters, earthbending the coal on the Fire Nation ships to destroy them. He had to keep moving.

The corridor was tilting beneath his feet as he made his way down. The door at the end grew larger. It was open.

A solitary man stood inside as if waiting for him. He frowned upon seeing Levi.

“You, boy! What are you doing here? Students must leave, it’s not safe.”

“I got lost! Please, help me, is there another way out?”

Commander Zeng’s frown deepened, bushy eyebrows sinking even lower, “There’s a staircase through this door,” the man turned to indicate it. Levi seized the opportunity.

He sprinted towards the Commander, reaching for his exposed pressure points along his back and neck, but he wasn’t fast enough. The Commander spun around and locked both his wrists in a vice-like grip. Levi struggled and kicked, but the man’s hold was firm. 

“Now, now, what do we have here? A little firebending schoolboy…trying to attack me? My, that’s a new one. You’ve managed to surprise me. So, what? Are you working with the rebel scum?”

Levi snarled, feral and rabid, scrabbling to escape, “We will take back our Bay and drive all of you evil Fire Nation bastards away! Now let me go, and let me fight you properly!”

“Even _more_ interesting. You’re not working for the rebels, you _are_ a rebel. Very clever – a double spy, a child no less, and a firebender. Even we haven’t gone that far. I will remember this.”

“Shut up! Let me go!"

“Oh no, little spy. You see. You misunderstand. You have what, a dozen people in your pathetic resistance? There can’t be many of you left after more than a decade. You are vastly outnumbered, no matter how good you are. There is no way you can win-“

He was cut off as Levi bit hard into his wrist and ran to the other side of the room.

“Fuck! You piece of shit! It’s time you learn a lesson,” and then the Commander turned to face him and hurled flames in his direction.

The room was soon burning around them as each threw burst after burst of flames at the other. Levi dodged and ducked and weaved, but he had never fought a true firebending master before and there was only so much he could take.

The floor tilted further and further, and they both had to scramble to remain upright. The building groaned as metal fell and shifted elsewhere.

With a roar, Commander Zeng dropped into a low kick, and white-hot flames skirted along the metal floor in all directions. Levi jumped to avoid them, but as he did, the building gave a sickening lurch. He was thrown off balance and threw his hands out to break his fall.

His hand met metal. Burning hot metal.

He gasped, heat searing through his flesh on contact. He heard the Commander fire. This time, he didn’t have time to dodge. Flames seared into his back.

Levi screamed.

He hit the floor. He was half-conscious, bleary with pain as he was kicked and beaten. Finally, his wrists were bound, and the world faded into darkness.

* * *

When he came to, he felt the dirt floor pressed against his face and sunlight blinding him. Pain. So much pain. His back was in agony where he had been burned and it hurt to breathe, something clicked in his chest with each exhalation. Levi coughed and rasped and struggled to sit up enough to look around.

He saw the bodies first.

Some were still half-buried in the rubble, but he could see the unmistakable green robes worn by his people. Others had been laid out neatly, mostly the Fire Nation soldiers who had died. His eye fell upon two smaller figures at the end. Levi’s eyes widened.

Two of his schoolmates. They must’ve been caught in the fighting. They hadn’t deserved to die.

Hanji’s words resounded in his head: _innocent people will always get caught in the crossfire…_

He twisted and was able to see three figures chained beside him. Duke Hideo was one of them, but Levi hardly recognises him. He’d been beaten black and blue, face puffy and swollen. Worst of all was his eyes. The spark was gone.

Levi strained against his bindings.

 _No,_ he thought, _it can’t end like this!_

“Duke Hideo!” No response, “Duke Hideo! Hey! Where are the others? The ones who went to destroy the boats?” He hissed urgently at the forlorn figure, but it was as if the man was deaf. He pleaded with him, “What happened to them? They can’t all be…” Duke Hideo stared at him then, a broken man.

“Well, well,” said a familiar voice. A tall presence emerged over Levi, blocking out the sun, “looks like our little spy has finally woken up. See? I told you. You didn’t stand a chance. And won’t you look at that – our outpost still stands. Your little plan didn’t work. You didn’t destroy it. We will rebuild easily, and we won’t be going anywhere.”

Commander Zeng smiled wide, showing all his teeth.

“Take them away!” he ordered.

Levi didn’t have the energy to struggle anymore. He didn’t react as he was roughly manhandled away.

Hanji had been right all along.

They had lost.


	8. The Traitor

****Erwin ****

Erwin treasured the lingering ghost of Levi’s lips against his own as he walked away from the tea shop. His mind was clear and still and he felt light, relieved to know that at least Levi would be safe.

He’d hoped to count on Levi as an escape route, in case something should go wrong. Without him, Erwin had to hope the spirits were on his side. Levi was right, Annie could have been Dai Li, but Erwin was counting on her being a fire nation spy. It made more sense; the fire nation would want to deal a blow to the Royal Guard, even if misplaced. The Dai Li, on the other hand, had no reason to want him dead. Not one that Erwin could think of, at least.

No, he was willing to take this gamble and bet the Dai Li would tell him what he wanted to know.

It was a half-hour walk through the darkening city to the place where informants would go to speak to the Dai Li. The entrance was unmarked except for the gentle glow of luminous green crystal spilling under the door.

Erwin knocked three times, “I have some information of interest.”

It was a few minutes before the door creaked open, and he was ushered inside. After descending a short flight of stairs, Erwin found himself in a bare, earthen room. There were no windows or doors, and Erwin swallowed the discomfort rising in his stomach.

Willing himself to stay calm, he dug his nails into his fists and kept his back held straight. The man who had led him inside indicated for him to state his business.

“I know the whereabouts of a scholar named Erwin. I believe he is of interest to the Dai Li.”

“Wait here,” Erwin was told, and with a firm stomp, the man opened a doorway in the wall using earthbending and disappeared into a dark tunnel. The wall sealed itself behind him.

Erwin swallowed, heart racing.

The man reappeared after a short wait and indicated for Erwin to follow him down. He clenched his fists tighter as he descended, eyes flicking towards the ceiling periodically. 

_Come on Erwin,_ he thought, _you’ve done this so many times. It’s just earth._

He wished such simple thoughts could stop the cold sweat seeping through the cloth on his back. They reached the end of the tunnel and there was a long, rectangular room lit with the eerie glow of green crystals with walls and floor all made of roughly carved rock. Several dark doorways were carved into each of the longer walls.

There were also a dozen Dai Li, dressed in their long black robes with the dark green circle woven into the chest, faces hidden by conical hats. Erwin hid his gasp. More than he had expected. There was no way he could fight his way out if things went wrong. He just hoped his gamble was right.

“Please, follow me,” said the man leading him.

Erwin was led into one of the doors carved into the side and found himself in a small, damp cell. It was lit by a solitary green crystal above the door.

“Please, wait here.”

The wait was almost a torture in itself. His skin crawled, and every instinct in his body told him to leave, to run, to get away, to return to the open. But he resisted.

After what seemed like an age, a Dai Li agent entered the small space.

“So, you say that you know the whereabouts of someone we’re looking for?” Said the Dai Li Agent. His voice was soft and gentle like a snake lying in wait for its prey.

“This isn’t the nicest way to treat your guests,” Erwin replied.

“Well, we don’t know you, or what you want yet”

“Simple. I want information.”

“Well then, how can we help each other, Mr….?”

“Lee.” Erwin said, “I know the whereabouts of a man named Erwin. I believe you want him. In return, I'd like to know why you want him.

“What’s to stop me beating the information out of you.”

“Nothing. But it’ll save you the clean-up. Tell me why you want him, and I’ll tell you where he is.”

The Dai Li agent laughed. It sounded false and hollow, too breathy and high. The sound had the hairs on the back of Erwin’s neck standing on edge, “Alright then, Mr. _Lee,”_ he emphasised the name as if he found it amusing, “Let me take a moment to consider.”

And he stepped outside and disappeared from view. Erwin paced in the small cell, trying to calm his racing heartbeat. His attention was suddenly drawn upwards, where there were holes carved high up in the walls. Was he imagining it, or were there eyes staring down at him?

He blinked, and they were gone.

The Dai Li agent returned.

“All right _Mr. Lee,_ I’ll humour you. I’ll tell you why we want the scholar named Erwin. We want him so that we can kill him. You see, this man is in possession of some information we simply cannot allow anyone to know.”

Erwin stilled. Through momentous effort, he kept his body and face carefully under control. He had made the wrong choice. He had gambled and lost. It had been the Dai Li who had tried to kill him after all.

“Oh really? And what information is that?”

“Come now. I’m sure you’re smarter than that. I just told you that we’re willing to kill anyone in possession of this knowledge. I’m not about to tell you what it is. But you already knew that, didn’t you, _Erwin?”_

 _Fuck,_ was all he could think. How could they know it was him? To his knowledge, few drawings of him existed, and his social circle had always been small. Then he remembers the eyes in the wall.

“You rather surprised us, Erwin,” the Dai Li agent continued, “Made our job very easy. Didn’t expect you to be quite so bold, or so stupid.” He looked up to the holes in the wall and made a gesture with his hand, “You’ve given one of our agents an excellent opportunity,” three agents appeared in the doorway, “to finish a job she _failed to complete,_ the first time around.”

One of the agents lifted their head and Erwin could see her face clearly.

Annie.

“No! Please!”

“Goodbye, Erwin.”

And then he was restrained, Earth rising out of the dirt floor to pin him down. Annie approached, face completely blank.

She reached out with her arm and Erwin felt rough stone close around his throat, slowly choking the Life from him.

He struggled against his restraints but it was no use. Soon, the room went blurry. Then, his vision started to pop and fizzle. He started gasping for breath.

Everything started to fade.

This was it. This was the end. He closed his eyes.

Suddenly, like a kick in the chest, the pressure disappeared. He fell to the floor, gasping for breath, sucking in air in ragged heaves. Whilst spluttering, he blinked to clear his vision and looked up to see what had happened.

The Dai Li agents, including Annie, lay unconscious on the ground. Standing over them was a short, dark-haired figure, cloth covering his face. Still weak, curled up on the ground, Erwin stared up at his savior in awe.

Grey eyes met his.

Levi offered him a hand, “You’re a reckless idiot.”

“Shit, Levi,” said Erwin, “I owe you my Life. Thank you.” Levi helped Erwin to his feet.

“Shut up, come on. We have to get out of here, fast.”

They rushed out of the cell into the long room. A dozen Dai Li agents lay unconscious throughout the room.

“ _Fuck,_ Levi. You did all this?”

“Yup.”

Erwin shook his head, incredulous and impressed. They moved quickly down the room towards the tunnel leading the way out. They kept their movements light, carefully stepping over the bodies of the Dai Li.

But many of them were stirring, and by the time they reached the exit one of them was getting to his feet.

Erwin’s stomach clenched as the agent moved into an earthbending stance and closed his hand into a fist. But the earth he expected to hurl towards them never came. The agent looked at his own hands, confused. Levi was on him in an instant, landing a sharp blow to his solar plexus. Several hits later, the man was unconscious.

“What the… he couldn’t earthbend. What did you do to him, Levi?”

Grey eyes glanced at him briefly, “No time to explain. Come on.”

They reached the base of the tunnel that would lead them out.

No sooner had Levi set foot in it, the earth shook. Erwin spun around to find a dozen more Dai Li appearing out of a hole in the ground, “Not so fast!” Yelled one of them.

Levi grabbed his hand, ready to run, but the walls shook once more and it was Erwin’s turn to pull Levi back as more Dai Li emerged in front of them, blocking their exit.

There were too many of them. Levi and Erwin were surrounded.

They edged backward, away from the approaching Dai Li. They moved so that they were back-to-back, circling, awaiting the imminent attack, but both could see that it was useless. Desperately, Erwin scanned the room, wondering if there might be some other way out, some trick they could pull. If only he had his earthbending, maybe there might have been. As it was, there was no way.

“Erwin,” Levi said under his breath, “There’s still a way out. Before everything changes, I just wanted to say, I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

But he didn’t get an answer.

Levi dropped into a low crouch and swung his leg around in a circle. Flames accompanied the kick. By the time he was standing again, the Dai Li were screaming, dark robes burning, the air heavy with the sickening smell of burning flesh.

“Run!” yelled Levi and grabbed Erwin roughly by the arm.

He could hardly process what he had just seen as the pair raced up out of the tunnel and out onto the street.

It was a quiet and dark night outside, and they sprinted through twisting alleyways as fast as they could until eventually, Levi pulled him into a dilapidated building, and they collapsed amongst moldy crates and rotten food.

Erwin’s heart was racing, beating loud in his ears. His throat was starting to feel sore where Annie had crushed his windpipe. He pulled his knees up and rested his arms on them, still catching his breath.

Flames danced before his eyes; the bright heat had left spots on his vision.

He buried his head in his hands, trying not to breathe, even though there was so much information threatening to overwhelm him he thought he might explode.

The Dai Li had tried to kill him twice. On purpose. Because he knew something. But what? And more pressingly, the man opposite him was…

“You’re a _firebender?_ ” Erwin managed eventually.

Levi wasn’t looking at him. He was perched atop an overturned crate, expression dark.

“We can’t stay long,” he said, ignoring Erwin’s question, “They’ll be after us now. Both of us.”

“Both of us? But…”

The gears started to turn in Erwin’s head.

Levi had been the one to suggest he leave Ba Sing Se. The warmth of the man’s touch. Steam rising in the street when Levi had faced the bullies. The gentle heat in the alleyway, three hungry street-kids gathered around Levi like a fire. _There are fire nation spies in the city… War makes men desperate… I’ve been fighting all my Life…I’m sorry._

His eyes widened.

Erwin stood.

“Levi, _who even are you?”_

Levi moved so quickly he had no time to react. The world went dark as he was hit in the head.

* * *

**~~ Levi ~~**

Levi was unceremoniously pushed to the floor and the doors on his prison closed behind him.

There was a tiny slit in the metal wall through which he could just glimpse the forest outside. It looked to him like the dark forest. He must be inside the strange new building.

He struggled against his bonds, but the angle meant he couldn’t firebend. The front of his cell was a set of metal bars, through which he could see a corridor, and if he peered down it, a few more cells. The sounds of sparring filtered through the wall opposite. Was this some kind of training ground?

He was left alone, without food or water, for what felt like days.

Finally, he was jostled out of an uneasy doze by the sound of footsteps. They were heavy and decisive, the click of confidence in the heels. He stared up into the sneering face of Commander Zeng.

“Hello, little spy. It’s Levi, isn’t it?”

Levi didn’t reply. Instead, he glared at the man, channeling all the hatred he could into his gaze.

“So, most of your people are dead. As for the rest of them, understand this: we have them, and you’ll never know where.

“But it’s your lucky day Levi. You see, I would have had all of you killed for your little attempt at rebellion. But I just happened to watch you fight, as did the soldiers who watched your student performance. We were quite impressed. We thought it would be a shame to see such a fine fighter go to waste.

“What’s more, we decided to do a little patrol of the coast. Just a little sweep to check we’d cleansed this area of your _filth_. Lo and behold what did we find, but a little cave by the sea. You idiots didn’t even remember to close it, did you?”

Levi froze, and Commander Zeng smiled wide.

“We found a rather lovely woman in the caves, you see-“

“No!”

Too late, Levi realised his mistake. Commander Zeng smiled wider, revealing his pearly white teeth which seemed to glow in the dim light.

“Interesting. As you seem to _care_ for this woman, know that we have her prisoner as well. If you don’t do as we say, she will die. In fact, all of your people will die. One by one, we will kill them off. One for every act of disobedience.”

Levi kept his eyes on the floor.

Commander Zeng crouched down so he could make sure Levi could hear his final words.

“So, you see, little traitor. You will do as you’re told. Now, you will be _our_ spy. Now, you truly will serve the fire nation.”

After he left, the click of his boots echoed down the metal corridor. Levi’s body shook as he sobbed silently, wet tears spilling down his face and littering the floor.

* * *

**** Erwin ****

When Erwin woke, he found himself tied against one of the crates. He struggled briefly, but there was no point. Of course, Levi had secured it well. The man hardly seemed to have moved and was still perched opposite Erwin, although he was now holding a set of knives. Erwin’s knives. Levi was carefully sharpening the blades.

Betrayal tasted bitter in his mouth. Erwin hung his head, heart heavy.

Metal scraped against metal as Levi said, “Tell me what you know.”

Erwin didn’t reply.

“I said, tell me what you know,” Levi said, raising his voice.

Erwin turned his head away. The least he could do was not reveal any more. What had Levi been learning from him, all this time?

No, the man would not get another whisper from him.

“For fuck’s sake Erwin. Our lives are in danger. Both of us. Ok? We don’t have time for this, so if you could just explain why you’re so fucking important, we might make it out of this to see another day. So? Spill. And if you won’t tell me, I have _other_ ways of making you co-operate,” Levi twirled the knives in his hands to emphasise his point.

Erwin squeezed his eyes shut. The world was spinning. It seemed like just yesterday he’d been leaving Levi’s warm embrace and heading out of the city. The memory made acid rise in the back of his throat.

“Fuck! Say something! You have information. Whatever the fuck it is, it’s enough for the Dai Li to try and kill you, _twice_ ; it’s enough for the fire nation to be _desperate_ to get their hands on you, alive. So desperate, they’ve set all their undercover spies in the city after you.”

So, it was true. Levi was a fire nation spy. But Levi wasn’t done, and continued, “Hell, it was even important enough for the Dai Li to have your friend, Nile, killed-“

Erwin gasped. Levi paused, triumphant, but if he had thought this new piece of information would make Erwin talk, he was wrong.

Erwin smiled up at him, strands unraveling within him. All of this, killing his dearest friend, trying to kill him, sending Levi after him – all of this and for something he knew? _But he had no idea what the fuck it was._ And that was just too much. The punchline to this sick and twisted joke.

To his, and Levi’s surprise, Erwin began to laugh. It began as a series of heavy breaths and quickly turned into wheezing exhales, and soon he was properly letting loose a series of belting cackles. Levi was on his feet in front of him shortly, looking concerned and confused.

Levi turned away. He started pacing for a while, but Erwin hardly noticed. Exhaustion began to overwhelm him.

Whatever the fuck was going on, he didn’t have the strength to puzzle it over anymore.


	9. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: there is one scene containing graphic violence in this chapter.

****Erwin****

At some point as he faded in and out of consciousness, Levi left. Erwin’s body ached from the awkward position, still bound.

He rested his head back against the crate behind him.

 _Come on Erwin,_ he thought, _if you’re going to get out of this mess, you have to figure out what’s going on._

He took several deep breaths and tried to lay out the pieces of information he had, like a puzzle. He tried to distance his emotions and look at the whole from afar, like an outsider. What did he know?

His accident had been no accident. The Dai Li had sent Annie to kill him. She had failed. Perhaps, realising that he could no longer earthbend, they decided he wasn’t a threat and didn’t finish the job. Until he decided to try and leave the city. That was too much. So, they tried to have him killed again.

At the same time, a fire nation spy – Levi - had befriended him and tried to encourage him to leave the city, presumably because the fire nation wanted to capture him once he was outside the city’s defences.

All of this, because of some vital information both sides thought Erwin knew. But what?

Something the fire nation was desperate to know, and the Dai Li was desperate to supress. There could only be one such thing; something about the city’s defences. But as he tried to puzzle it out, he couldn’t think of any secret he knew that Pixis didn’t know.

And then there was Nile.

A surge of panic and grief overtook him. Erwin took another deep breath and tried to return to the distant state of mind where he could look at the facts objectively.

Nile. The Dai Li had killed Nile. But why? What did Nile have to do with all this?

According to what Erwin had been told, Nile had died only a few days before Annie had tried to kill Erwin.

He frowned, the answer seeming just out of reach, and fought with the impulses brewing within him to give up, lash out, or break down.

 _Come on Erwin,_ he thought, _Think!_

An idea came to him. What if this wasn’t about him at all? What if this was about Nile? What if this was about something that Nile knew, and for some reason, because they had been so close once, the Dai Li thought Nile had told Erwin as well?

But Nile had been completely unaffiliated with the Dai Li or the Guard. His whole family were nonbenders and had been for generations. He was descended from a long line of relatively wealthy, land-owning Middle Ringers. Why would Nile have known anything about the city’s defenses?

Erwin was stumped.

At that moment, Levi stumbled through the door, out of breath and eyes frantic.

“We need to go,” he gasped, “the Dai Li are searching the city. They’ll be here in minutes.”

* * *

**~~Levi~~**

“Hi! I’m Isabel,” said the bright-eyed girl who entered Levi’s cell. He didn’t respond, remaining curled up on the floor. She didn’t seem bothered by his silence and knelt beside him. He jolted when her hands touched his back.

“Woah there, I’m here to bandage your wounds. Just let me have a look, ok?”

“Leave me alone.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. I’ve been _ordered_ to bandage your wounds. Besides, you’re in rough shape, buddy.”

He didn’t move, but he didn’t try and stop her after that. Gently, she pulled up his shirt to assess his back, inhaling sharply when she saw the burn.

“Shit, they should’ve let me see you sooner. Ok, I’ve going to put some honey-mint on your back, but it’ll sting. You have been warned.”

It did sting, but it was bearable, and he knew that it would fade to a soothing balm after some time. Isabel made him turn to face her so she could look at his face and chest, and he was startled to realise that she was only about his age, or younger, and was an earth nation girl.

She was methodical as she assessed the damage. Levi had two broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder, but otherwise he was just bruised and sore. She declared that he would recover just fine, and her enthusiasm was foreign to him.

“What is this place?” He finally asked.

“You’ll found out soon enough. They’re letting you out soon.”

“Out? I thought I was a prisoner.”

Isabel’s demeanour changed, and he saw that for all her enthusiasm, her eyes were weary. They were eyes that had seen things no child should see.

“Not _out-_ out, just out of this cell,” she said quietly, her mood heavier. “You’re the eighth they’ve brought in. The others are all about our age, just kids, all of them earth benders or fighters. I’m here because I know the local healing herbs and they needed more people to do the cooking.”

Levi nodded. It was as Commander Zeng had said, he would be their spy now. Perhaps these other children were in the same boat as himself.

Over the next few weeks, he understood more about his situation. There were around ten of them; all earth nation kids, most of them earth benders and the building in the dark forest was a training centre to turn them all into spies. They were watched constantly, but Levi knew that alone wasn’t enough to stop them running away. No, the fire nation must have their loved ones captive, just like Levi. That was the only reason he could think of that proud earth nation children would work for the fire nation.

Their days were split between classes, fighting, and chores. They were taught writing and arithmetic first, and then fire nation history, battle strategy, how to conceal messages, how to lie, how to change their accent and gait.

When they fought, Levi realised just how much Duke Hideo had taught him, and just how good he was. The guards who watched them knew little about earth bending technique, and so Levi did his best to help the other kids improve.

Some instinct stopped him from showing the others chi blocking. By some good fortune, after the resistance’ attack the fire nation had figured out what Levi and the others were capable of, and he knew he had to keep it that way. It would be his secret weapon.

At night, Levi would lie in his bunk, restless, and gaze out of the barred, dormitory window into the courtyard. Most nights, there were lanterns lit on the second floor. What happened there, none of the kids knew.

The day arrived when Commander Zeng came to watch their progress.

After a while, he called their training to a standstill, “I have some good news. You should all be _honoured_ to be honorary fire nation soldiers now, and yet you all still fight like undisciplined barbarians. To whip you all into shape, I am taking command of this little operation. Expect to be worked much harder from now on, and you will eventually be ready for your first missions. Dismissed.”

The news set Levi wondering. What had happened to the outpost, if the Commander was now here instead? What was the man really planning, and what was it that the fire nation wanted from them?

The other kids speculated in low voices, but all agreed it couldn’t be good, these missions the fire nation would send them on. Would they be asked to kill people? Would they be asked to betray earth nation villages?

Levi’s heart twisted. No. He wouldn’t do it. He wouldn’t fight on the fire nation’s side and infiltrate earth nation bases just to betray them at the last minute. He knew then that he had to escape, but he would never be free whilst the fire nation still had Duke Hideo, his mother and the other fighters captive.

Commander Zeng watched them train often, and Levi felt his blood boil whenever he felt the man’s gaze following him. Levi’s plan was simple. He wasn’t a strategist. It was only later, when he looked back on the events, that he understood how foolish it had been.

The courtyard was full of rocks being hurled as the earthbending kids trained. With a nod to one of them, a larger boulder was hurled close to Commander Zeng and the man startled, racing forward to yell at the boy responsible. It was then that Levi jumped him.

He launched himself onto the Commander’s back, clinging on with a fierce grip. Levi held a sharp bolt of searing fire against the man’s throat.

“You will do as I say,” said Levi, “Or you will die.”

Commander Zeng went very still and raised his hands in the air in surrender.

“Walk slowly out of the compound and keep your hands where I can see them,” ordered Levi, holding the bolt of fire steady. The Commander slowly moved towards the exit. The guards were all facing them, ready to fight, “tell the guards not to attack. If they make a move, I will kill you.”

The Commander did as he was told. Finally, after what seemed like an age, the many gates circling the compound were opened and the Commander, with Levi clinging to his back, slowly walked out.

“So what’s your plan, little spy? Are you really going to kidnap me?”

“Shut up.” Just a little bit further, and they would be clear of the compound. Then, Levi would demand to know where his people were, and this evil man could finally die.

But that’s not what happened. Levi had made the mistake of underestimating the Commander.

He stumbled, and Levi slipped. Startled, the flame he was holding wavered. Commander Zeng seized the moment and flipped Levi clean over his shoulder. He landed on his back on the hard ground, the wind knocked out of him. The Commander punched him hard in the face, and the world went black.

* * *

****Erwin****

They kept their hoods pulled up and stayed under the shaded eaves at the side of the alleyway, but Erwin could hear the yells as the Dai Li searched the streets further down. As they moved, he saw the posters. One was an impressive likeness of Erwin with his new hairstyle. The other, the spitting image of Levi.

After many quick twists and turns, Levi stopped him and said, “Up here.”

Erwin was led to a tiny dip in the wall where a ladder had been haphazardly nailed in place. He glanced around, but no one seemed to be paying them any attention.

Levi gestured for Erwin to go first. Erwin sighed but started climbing. They might be on the run, but he wasn’t going to escape Levi easily. The ladder led to a loft stained with bird shit and puckered with holes letting in daylight, and Levi was close behind, quickly pacing around the space and pressing his eye to the gaps.

“We’re safe for now, but I don’t know for how much longer,” said Levi, “Those posters went up in the night. We should keep our faces hidden.”

“But then what? What’s your plan?” Erwin asked.

“Shut it. _I’m_ calling the shots. We’ll keep moving.”

“And for how long can we do that? The Dai Li have spies everywhere. This is the Lower Ring. All eyes can be theirs if there’s coin involved, and knowing the Dai Li, they have no shortage of that.”

Levi halted his pacing and shot Erwin a glare. Erwin continued, “You can’t kill me, can you? You need me alive because your fire nation bosses want me alive. However, sticking together is tricky when the Dai Li are looking for two men and our faces are everywhere, and it’s made harder if you have to keep your eyes on me at all times.”

Levi withdrew a knife and held it out towards Erwin, but Erwin didn’t budge. A plan was starting to form in his mind, “So?” Asked Levi, “What are you suggesting?”

“Stop holding me hostage. Way I see it, we’re in this together. We’re _both_ wanted men. You need me alive, whilst I value the protection of a fighter such as yourself.”

Levi didn’t move, but his eyes narrowed, “Go on.”

“As for a plan, we can’t stay here where there are too many eyes. So, if not here, we have two choices: The Middle Ring or the Agrarian Zone. We’re closer to the Middle Ring from here, and I don’t think the Dai Li will be as willing to tear up the homes of Middle Ringers looking for us. Besides which, I know the University and its hidden rooms like the back of my hand. I think we could hide there, unseen, for weeks if need be.”

“But what then? Surely the Agrarian Zone makes more sense if we want to eventually escape the city.”

“True. But the Dai Li will be expecting that, and I’ve already been stopped from leaving once. I know they have agents guarding the Outer Wall.”

“And the wall to the Middle Ring? How would we get past that?”

“We disguise ourselves as scholars.”

Levi snorted, “Just like that? That’ll really work?”

“You got a better idea?”

Levi’s silence said everything. Slowly, he lowered his knife.

* * *

Erwin didn’t like stealing, but they couldn’t risk being recognised. He left a silver piece behind them as they stole away from a vendor with two satchels filled with dried fruits, bread, and a water skin each.

Close to the wall, they were lucky enough to find a tailor specialising in Scholar’s robes. Erwin was unsurprised to find out that Levi was an excellent thief, and the man was hardly gone five minutes before he returned to Erwin with two garments in hand.

Once they were dressed, they only needed to tie up their hair as best they could, and then they looked for all the world like a couple of scholars in need of passage through the wall to reach the University.

It was jarring to see Levi dressed as a scholar. For a moment, Erwin wondered what could have been in another life, had they met under very different circumstances.

The sun was high in the sky as they approached the wall at a leisurely pace. Overhead, the monorail rumbled as it sped into the gaping mouth of the tunnel. At ground level, several fruit carts and trinket vendors were slowly moving through a queue as several Royal Guard looked them over one by one, before letting them pass.

Levi and Erwin joined the back of the short line and steadily inched closer.

They reached the front of the queue, “State the purpose of your visit to the Middle Ring.”

“To travel to the University,” Erwin replied in a measured voice.

The guard nodded, eyes unfocused, bored. He waved them through without another glance. They began walking through the tunnel, and Erwin’s heart finally started to calm.

“Wait!” called a voice from behind them. A different guard approached them, squinting at them, “Why do I recognise you?” He said, speaking to Levi.

“I have a common sort of face,” Levi replied evenly.

The guard crossed his arms and frowned at them for a while longer.

“Excuse me,” Erwin said, injecting frustration into his tone, “but we have an important meeting with our research supervisors in ten minutes. If you have a substantial reason to delay us further, say so. Otherwise, stop wasting our time.”

The guard raised his hands apologetically, “My apologies. I must be mistaken. Carry on, gentlemen,” he turned and let them go. As he went, Erwin could hear him grumbling about pretentious scholars thinking they were better than everybody. Erwin smiled.

The neatly carved waterways and well-tended greenery of the Middle Ring glittered in the sunlight. As soon as they left the main road and turned onto a shortcut towards the University, the jostle of people was suddenly absent. Erwin felt a weight lift from his shoulders and his breathing came more easily. At least now, there were fewer eyes to watch them.

The wide-open space of the University grounds drew larger as they approached. Each building sported matching dark green rooves with upturned eaves and shining embellishments lined with gold plating.

Erwin halted before they drew too close.

“What?” asked Levi.

Erwin’s eyes were on the green-robed figures spilling out of the main building and down the wide, concrete steps.

“It must be mid-day break. There are too many scholars roaming around right now. We should wait out of the way.” He had the perfect place in mind, “follow me,” he told Levi.

* * *

**~~Levi~~**

Levi woke in a prison cell. It was a disgustingly familiar experience.

As soon as he was awake, he was greeted by a kick in the stomach. Commander Zeng screamed at him, “Foolish boy! Didn’t I tell you to _obey?_ ” Levi was helpless, thoroughly bound, and had no choice but to take every hit, “I warned you, did I not? I told you what would happen. Do you remember what I promised?”

Levi gasped, “No, no, not my people!”

“First thing in the morning,” another kick, “I’ll be requesting the transfer of someone special. A _visitor_ for you.”

“No, you can’t do this-“

“Can’t I? Clearly, I didn’t make myself clear the _first_ time, boy. You are _our_ spy now. You will obey.”

It was all Levi could do not to cry in front of the man.

Over the next few days, he was guarded closely and beaten often. The guards would leer at him and taunt him. He curled up in the cell and waited, and hoped, somehow, desperately, that Duke Hideo and the others had managed to escape.

One evening, he startled awake to the sound of footsteps approaching. Commander Zeng’s footsteps. He was not alone. Three guards were with him, and together they dragged a figure with a bag over their head.

Commander Zeng opened the door to Levi’s cell, and the figure was thrown to their knees before Levi. He lifted his head, struggling against his restraints in desperation, but one of the guards stepped into the cell and wrapped his arm around Levi to make extra sure he couldn’t escape.

With a cruel smile, the Commander removed the bag.

It was Duke Hideo.

“No!” Levi cries.

“I’m so sorry, Levi,” said the man he had followed for his whole life, “it’s not your fault. Be brave, don’t give in-“

“ _Quiet!”_ Commander Zeng barked and slapped the Duke across the face. “Watch closely, little spy,” the guard restraining him forces his head up so that he has to watch, “This is what happens when you disobey the fire nation.”

The Commander drew out a long, thin blade and grabbed Duke Hideo’s hair, exposing his neck.

Duke Hideo closed his eyes.

The knife slashed through the darkness.

Blood sprayed across the room, catching Levi in the eyes. He could taste it on his lips.

Levi watched as Duke Hideo choked and writhed with each pulse of blood spilling from his neck. Through it all, Commander Zeng only smiled.

No matter how he cleaned, Levi would never remove the scent of blood from his own skin. He had learned his lesson. He would never disobey again.

* * *

**** Erwin ****

“What is this place?” Levi asked as Erwin settled himself beside the turtle-duck pond. They were hidden from the world by the familiar yellow-bark trees and prickly thorn-bushes.

“A place where we won’t be found easily.”

He had never shown anyone this place, and Levi was the last person he wanted here. A liar, a fire nation spy no less, but one of the only people who didn’t want him dead right now.

What would Nile say, to see him now? Only the spirits knew.

Levi sat across from him, on the opposite side of the small pond. Erwin studied his face in the reflection of the water. He wasn’t a superstitious man, but it seemed that he and Levi were bound together in this strange mess. Dressed in their identical scholars’ robes, they were a disparate reflection of each other.

For now, this man needed him alive, but if they made it out of the city, he knew that Levi would hand him over to his fire nation bosses in a heartbeat. If they made it that far, Erwin would have to make sure that couldn’t happen. Could he kill Levi, if he had no other choice?

It would be a challenge, certainly. Levi was still the best fighter he had ever seen and that wasn’t even considering his firebending. His only chance would be to catch the man off-guard. Either that or convince Levi to turn against his bosses. There was so much that Erwin didn’t know about the man.

The distant echo of skin against skin flashed through his mind. That seemed like a lifetime ago. Nausea tangled in his stomach at the memory.

Yet despite all that had happened, the turtle-duck pond still felt like a peaceful escape. As Nile had always said, _if you ever want to escape the city, come here._ The Dai Li wouldn’t find them here, Erwin was sure of it. So long as it didn’t rain, they could stay here a while. It was like a different world.

It was then that all the pieces fell together.

Nile, descended from a long line of Middle Ring nonbenders. A secret so great, the Dai Li had killed Nile for it. The fire nation was desperate for it. _To escape the city, come here…_

Erwin jumped to his feet.

“What?” said Levi, immediately on the alert, “What is it? Do you hear someone coming?”

Erwin ignored him and surveyed the area. The turtle-duck pond was small, only two meters across, yet now that Erwin thought about it, no matter how much it had rained, the pond was always the same size. The same couldn’t be said for the rest of the city. The Lower Ring was usually flooded if a bad rainy season hit.

“Erwin?”

Erwin dropped to his hands and knees and peered at the pond, ignoring Levi. He stood and began to take off his jacket.

“Um. What are you doing?”

“Testing a theory,” Erwin said, an echo of Levi’s words from a lifetime ago. It didn’t take him long to discard the rest of his clothes. Levi was careful not to look at his nakedness.

Erwin stepped into the pond.

Immediately, he dropped.

Just as he expected, it wasn’t a pond at all, but a column of water. His feet hit the bottom, and he pushed off and resurfaced.

Levi gaped at him, “Ok. What the fuck is going on? Have you lost your mind?”

Erwin was quiet for a moment. He realised he had little choice but to explain what was happening to Levi. This was it: the secret he knew which was so important. Telling a fire nation spy such a secret was dangerous, but what else could he do? He wouldn’t make it far before Levi could catch up with him, and he couldn’t kill the man. Not yet anyway.

“This isn’t a pond. It’s an entrance,” Erwin said.

“An entrance? An entrance to what…” Erwin watched understanding dawn on the other man’s face, “Well, fuck. Do you think it’s Jian’s tunnel? Like from the story?”

“Perhaps.”

Erwin heaved himself out of the water, oblivious to the way Levi’s eyes lingered and jumped back in again. This time he stayed down and traced the perimeter with his hands.

There! An opening in the side, submerged beneath the water. He kicked back to the surface, gasped in a breath and climbed out again, and shrugged back into his clothes. For a moment, he was blinded by a stinging pain in his eyes. When he touched his face, his hand came away black. The boot polish must be washing out.

He wiped his eyes with his sleeve and looked around at the vegetation. Parallel to the University, the ground sloped downwards. Erwin parted the thorn-bushes and started heading down.

“Hey! Where are you going?”

“I’ll be right back. And before you say it, I'm not about to run. You have the satchels with the food and water. But if you don’t believe me, by all means, follow.”

It was hard to forge a path amongst the vegetation, but Erwin managed it. Shortly, he heard Levi following behind. He wasn’t surprised.

They didn’t go far before Erwin heard it: water. He scrambled through the brambles, ignoring the cuts stinging his hands and face and finally saw the trickle of a stream.

“Levi!” He called, “Give me one of my blades.”

“No way. You could just cut me and escape.”

“Oh, for Yangchen’s sake. Fine. Come do this yourself. We need to find where this stream is coming from. Hack away at some of these bushes, will you?”

Levi glared at him, a retort on the tip of his tongue, but he started hacking at the plants. Erwin grasped a hold of the thick stems of the bushes to pull them back whilst Levi worked. After a while, they saw the place where the trickle of water began.

“What are we doing, Erwin?”

“I was hoping…” Erwin bent to peer at the mess of lichen and dirt where the water emerged, “Aha! I was right! Look!”

He scraped back some of the dirt and there, Levi was clearly able to see that there was a stone right where the water was coming from. The stone was square: it could only have been carved that way and placed there purposefully.

Erwin heaved at it. He tugged and tugged and finally, it seemed to come free. Water gushed out, splattering them both.

“Shit. Where is the water coming from? How did you know this would be here?”

Erwin shrugged, “Just a shot in the dark,” he said, hiding his amazement. How long had this been here, kept secret? How long had Nile’s family been guarding it?

Eventually, the water quietened from a gush into a leisurely flow, and then into a trickle again, and Erwin pushed the carved stone back in place. The pair set off back to the clearing and the going was much easier now that the bushes had been bent aside by their footsteps the first time.

Where the pond had been, there was now a gaping hole in the ground.

Erwin looked at Levi expectantly.

“No. No way. Why the fuck am I going first?”

“You’re smaller,” Erwin said, ignoring the sweat gathering on his brow, “and besides, can’t you send a fireball down it or something, see how far it goes?”

Levi glared at him and pointed a knife at him for good measure, but Erwin just met his gaze with a level stare, “Fuck. Ok, I’ll take a look. Don’t you fucking dare trying to run off.”

“For the last time, I won’t,” but Erwin took the food satchels, “and I’m going to keep these, in case _you_ have any ideas about running off.”

The glare returned, but Levi clambered down into the hole and splashed across the water at the bottom to peer into the dark opening in the side. With caution, he clambered in, and Erwin saw the space light up as Levi created a flame.

His heart was loud in his ears as he waited. Erwin pressed his hands into the dirt and kept his eyes glued to the space where Levi had disappeared. Had he made a huge mistake? He’d just revealed a secret tunnel out of the city to a fire nation spy. What if Levi didn’t come back? He supposed he could always turn himself in to the Dai Li, tell them about the tunnel, and get them to earthbend it shut so no fire nation spies could come back through.

He breathed a sigh of relief when Levi emerged.

“So?”

“So, there’s another carved stone. I pushed it open and the tunnel goes up and then down, and then it gets wide. Wide enough to stand. From there it looks like it goes on for a long time. I couldn’t see the end. I can’t believe I’m saying this but, I think you’re right. I think this is Jian’s tunnel.”

“Holy Shu.”

“Yeah. You can say that again.”

Levi hauled himself up and sat beside him. Together, they stared into the pit before them.

“Shit. So, are we doing this?” Levi asked.

“The alternative is hiding for as long as we can in the University, hoping the Dai Li’s search dies down, and trying to sneak past all the walls and escape the city.”

They shared a look, “Ok, I’m voting secret tunnel,” said Levi.

Erwin breathed a deep breath, “I guess I am too.”

Together, they jumped down, water splashing up to their ankles. Erwin grabbed the satchels, first handing Levi his before slinging his own around his torso.

Levi ducked into the opening a flame appearing in his hand, and then he was gone. Erwin swallowed, staring at the constricted space.

This was it. A way out. A way to escape the Dai Li, and certain death.

Over the turmoil and panic in his body, he felt a steady resolve overtake his mind and his heart.

Erwin clambered into the entrance of the secret tunnel, and climbed into the darkness, leaving Ba Sing Se, the only home he had ever known, behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap on Part 2 and a (hopefully exciting) end to the first half of the story!


End file.
